Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society (WAGS) will postpone their April 4 all-day seminar (“Explore DNA for the Day!” with Emily Aulicino) until a later date.
Thanks,Susan RumbleWAGS
Tacoma Pierce County Spring Seminar Cancelled
It
is with deep regret that TPCGS has decided that it is in everyone’s
best interests to cancel our 2020 Spring Seminar. We hope to be able to
reschedule it at a future date. All registrations that we have already
received will be refunded.
Thank you for understanding.
Jane Irish Nelson, TPCGS Co-Chair
Seattle Genealogical Society Cancellations
| March 13, 2020 Notice – Seattle’s 2020 Irish Festival has been CANCELED. That includes all festival activities at Seattle Center Armory on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15, as well as the Saturday, March 21 Irish Genealogy Workshop “Putting the Gene in Genealogy” that was to take place at Fairview Christian School in Seattle. Reminder – the SGS board decided to close the SGS Library physical facility at 6200 Sand Point and to cancel all meetings and gatherings of our membership held there until 30 March 2020. The facility is not being closed due to any known contamination, but rather as a pro-active move to avoid possible person-to-person transmission of the virus. Many organizations may be canceling their activities. It would be prudent to check with organizers on the status of an event before heading out. The Seattle Genealogical Society recommends you check our website or watch your email in-box for the eNews! for status updates on our events. |
Olympia Genealogical Society cancelled all future meetings, including our Spring Seminar on March 28.
Due to coronavirus situation, Olympia Genealogical Society has
cancelled all future meetings, including our Spring Seminar on March
28. Check our website for developments
www.OlyGenSoc.org
Joyce Ogden, Publicity
=======================
GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday 2020 E-News
| THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition March 12, 2020 |
| Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member! |
| gfo.org | 503-963-1932 | info@gfo.org Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR. Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider |
| Coronavirus Impacts: Open House, Seminar, SIGS, GenTalk |
| The
Genealogical Forum of Oregon is actively monitoring communications from
local, state and federal authorities about the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic. Today, Oregon Governor Kate Brown instructed all groups
in the state to cancel events hosting 10 people or more in high risk
populations. Older adults are considered high risk. A large percentage
of our members and SIG participants are older. Therefore, we have taken these actions: Canceled Special Interest Group meetings. Canceled GenTalk about PERSI on March 21. Rescheduled the Open House to Sept. 25-Oct. 4. Rescheduled the DNA Seminar with Karen Stanbary to August 8-9. Those who have registered for the seminar remain registered for the future dates. All registered attendees will receive a direct email about refunds if they need them. |
| Courtesy Tri-Met The library typically attracts a minimal number of people and we believe it can remain open for the time being. At the GFO library, we are using disinfecting wipes on keyboards, mice, desktops, chair backs, and door handles multiple times a day. You can help keep us all healthy too. The Centers for Disease Control has some basic, effective prevention steps: ▪ If you or anyone in your household has a cough or feels sick, stay home. ▪ Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hand. ▪ If you do cough or sneeze into a tissue, wash your hands immediately for 60 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Please observe the steps in the following videos, released by the WHO, that provide instructions on how to properly wash your hands and disinfect your hands with sanitizer. It’s easy to forget to cough into your elbow, but it’s really important not to cover your mouth with your hand (and then touch surfaces others will touch), or worse, to cough out into the air. Experts say washing hands really does prevent epidemics. Let’s work together to keep all of us healthy. |
| Membership Meeting Will Happen March 21 in Much Smaller Form |
| Our bylaws require an annual Membership Meeting in March to finalize the ballot for the election of the Board. Given the circumstances, we are not asking you to attend. We are arranging just enough people to come as the bylaws require a nomination for Director at Large be made from the floor. This is the meeting at which the ballot for the upcoming Board election is finalized. We have a willing candidate for each of the three positions open this year: President, Secretary, and Director at Large. |
| Hall of Fame Nominations Sought |
| It’s time for GFO Hall of Fame Nominations! Any GFO member may nominate another member by April 1. Nominees must have a well-documented history of service, leadership, and accomplishment in more than one facet of the GFO, over a long period of time. Please include: ▪ Name, list of services, activities, positions, and accomplishments; ▪ A narrative describing the nature of their work in terms of its importance to the success of the GFO; ▪ A short biography. Please send to secretary@gfo.org by April 1. The board will decide if any merit selection. Winners are awarded in June and receive a free Life Membership and their name on our Hall of Fame plaque. |
| Have a Fun Genealogy Story? Share it with our Insider |
| We’re looking for stories for the May 2020 Insider issue at this time, and we need your help. What we’re looking for: genealogy and history- centric articles, tips, resources, ideas, serendipity stories, techniques, events, etc. Please email insider@gfo.org by April 4th to get your news and items of interest into May’s issue. Again, submissions are due by April 4th, please. |
| News from the Library |
| New Digital Content ▪ Berks of Old ▪ Craig Links ▪ Edgar Newsletter ▪ Francisco Researcher [Francisco surname and variations] ▪ San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society, Inc. [bulletin]. New Books ▪ The Blows of yesteryear: an American saga ▪ Genealogies of Hadley families: embracing the early settlers of the towns of Hatfield, South Hadley, Amherst and Granby ▪ Painter families ▪ The Descendants of Peter and Margaret Rankin: from Kilsyth, Scotland ▪ Stratton notes ▪ Monumental inscriptions of the parish church of St. Mary, Oakley: (Part only) ▪ Who was Ann Gregg ▪ Colonial tavern keepers of Maryland and Delaware, 1634-1776 ▪ Chesapeake and Ohio Canal: a guide to Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Maryland, District of Columbia, and West Virginia ▪ The Civil War in Fairfax County: civilians and soldiers ▪ Communities of kinship: antebellum families and the settlement of the cotton frontier ▪ A guide to researching land in Oklahoma at the Oklahoma Historical Society. ▪ Genealogical research guide to Reno County, Kansas ▪ Hughes County history ▪ Ghost towns and historical haunts in Arizona: Stories and photos ▪ Baker County [Oregon] links to the past ▪ Camp Polk Cemetery, 1880-1999 ▪ Monmouth, Oregon: the saga of a small American town ▪ Collected memories: Umatilla Tales from the past: pioneer stories of the lower Willamette Valley |
| This week’s surplus book has a truly self-explanatory title: Historic Buildings Now Standing In New York Which Were Erected Prior To Eighteen Hundred. However, the “now” in that title is a bit dated, because this book was printed in 1914. This is a fun piece of pictorial New York history with photos on almost every page, accompanied by descriptions of the truly old buildings of New York. |
| It’s
a thin volume, 45 pages, and its cover is a bit tattered, its spine
taped to keep it intact. Pages inside are crisp and as vibrant as when
they were printed. This booklet contains library marks and a label. Price for pickup at the GFO: $18 Price to ship to you: $24 If you’re interested, please contact booksales@gfo.org. |
| Survey Results: |
| Last
week, we provided a list of research locations and asked what
percentage of respondents had been there. Respondents were allowed to
select more than one answer, and the percentages have been rounded. 75% Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah) 61% National Archives (Washington, DC) 32% NEHGS Library and Archives (Boston, MA) 32% National Archives (other locations) 25% DAR National Library 21% Allen County Public Library (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) 11% Mid-Continent Public Library (Independence, Missouri) Many of the respondents wanted to go to the places in the survey again. But here are the places mentioned that were not listed above: ▪ Musselman Library in Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania ▪ National Records of Scotland to research my Scottish connections ▪ New York State Archives ▪ Fayetteville Arkansas Archives and the Fayetteville Library ▪ The Newberry Library was a good one. ▪ Richmond Virginia it was a treasure trove of Virginia history. They have a fantastic archive. ▪ I’ve also visited the Oregon State Archives and the Minnesota Historical Society Library ▪ Indian and Colonial Research Center, Connecticut. A hidden gem with an amazing resources for a researcher with extensive CT and RI ties as well as Indian ancestors. ▪ University of Washington Libraries. ▪ Anything in England, now that I know where we came from. ▪ Tennessee State Archives ▪ I want to go to New England, so pretty much any library or archive there. ▪ The Fiske Library in Seattle because it is relatively nearby and I have never been there. |
| New Survey: Newspapers |
| Newspapers can be a great resource. This week, we’re asking if they’ve helped you solve any genealogical puzzles. |
| Sunday, March 15th Library Work Party – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. We’ll be working to digitize more periodicals while we have fun chatting about genealogy. We will make sure everyone sits three feet apart, in accordance with state recommendations. French Canada Group CANCELED Per Governor’s Instruction. The group leader is Bob LaMarche. FrCan@gfo.org Wednesday, March 18th DNA Q&A – CANCELED Per Governor’s Instruction Leader: Lisa McCullough dna_qa@gfo.org GFO Library Open Late to 8:00 p.m. |
Corona Virus Cancellations
I have been trying to keep up with all the Corona Virus Cancellations here, but this blog is really not a great place to post them, because the majority of people get the once a week digest, and so I have also been posting all the cancellations I have gotten on the Washington State Genealogical Society FaceBook page as soon as I get the notice, so check there for the most up to date list of cancellations.
Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Seminar Postponed
The EWGS Seminar scheduled for April 4th has been postponed till May 2nd. If you have already paid and can not make the May date you can get a refund, or the money carries over for the May Seminar.
Saturday, May 2
Enhancing Your Genealogy Repertoire (Seminar) 9:30 pm to 3:30 pm Prince of Peace Lutheran – 8441 N Indian Trail Rd. Spokane, WA 99208
********RAFFLE********DOOR PRIZES********LUNCH******** Seminar Classes:
#1 Researching Is Child’s Play with Barbara Brazington
#2 Census with Lynda Keenan
#3 Ancestry DNA and Thru-Lines with Janice Moerschel
#4 DNA Painter with Lynda Keenan
Handouts will be on the Home page of the website for attendees to print their own. LUNCH: Taco Bar catered by Becky’s Catering COST: $25.00 (includes lunch) for members
$30.00 (includes lunch) for non-members
$30.00 at the door (lunch not guaranteed)
Doors open at 9:00 am Payment methods will be listed on the website soon!
Seattle Genealogical Society Closure News
|
March 10, 2020 Dear SGS members, friends and sponsors, As you know Seattle is the country’s epicenter of the Covid-19 virus outbreak. All experts urge those who are vulnerable due to older age or with compromised immune systems to stay at home. While not all of our SGS friends fall into these categories, many do. Yesterday, at our monthly Board meeting, which was held virtually, we decided to close the physical facility at 6200 Sand Point and to cancel all meetings and gatherings of our members held there until 30 March 2020. The facility is not being closed due to any known contamination, but rather as a pro-active move to avoid possible person-to-person transmission of the virus. The Board will meet on 23 March to reassess the situation and we will let you know when this policy changes. Our ability to help with your family history has not stopped, however! Here are a few things we will be doing in the next few weeks of this shutdown to reach out to you and help with your genealogy: The eNews! will be issued more frequently in order to keep you apprised of the situation; inform you of new online resources; and outline upcoming online opportunities. Thanks to Deb Klein, our editor! We are postponing all meetings and volunteer events held at the Society at least until 30 March.This includes all Special Interest Groups (SIGS), SGS Writer’s Group, our Second Saturday (and quarterly meeting) session, the Centennial Planning Kick-off meeting and any volunteer work at the desk or for the Library. The events will be rescheduled. We are NOT cancelling SGS sponsored events which are held at off site locations, e.g. “Digging Deeper: Researching Women’s History” (UW) by LIsa Oberg. This event and its potential closure will be decided by the institutions or individuals who run them. If it is held, it is your decision whether you attend or not. At the Board meeting today, the Board approved the slate of officers and authorized SGS to inform the members of the slate via eNews! on 15 March. We have several openings still unfilled; if you know of someone who might be good to fill the position, please let us know. We will contact that person and see if they are willing to serve before placing them on the ballot. The ballot will go to the members electronically on 31 March. Note: There will also be a couple of by-law issues that we ask for your consideration. These were missed last year. Don’t forget that we have two Facebook pages “Seattle Genealogical Society and Library” and “Seattle Genealogical Society Networking.” The former is generally for announcements and the latter is for asking your research questions. If you get stuck with your research you can also always request help through the FB page or by submitting a research request through the website. SGS will ramp up its online offerings during this period that our physical facility is closed. Watch your eNews! for the link to join the presentations by Heidi Mair and me. We will soon be announcing 2 new online courses–“Genealogy Basics & Beyond,” and “DNA by the Numbers.”. Stay tuned for registration information. The online offerings will use Zoom as the meeting platform, the same as we use for our Board meetings. Zoom is very easy to use…click on the link provided for the class or the meeting, click positively through the question and you’re in! We certainly hope that you are safe and well. Our thanks go out to the scientists at the UW, Fred Hutch, the CDC and other institutions who are working overtime to tame this beast. In the meantime—have you washed your hands recently? Thanks so much for your support of SGS. Jill Morelli, CG Seattle Genealogical Society, President |
Whitman County Genealogical Society Free April 2020 Seminar Postponed
Based on all the current information, the WCGS board decided it is best to postpone our April 4 seminar. We have been in touch with both speakers about a date in the future that would work for both of them and have settled on Sat., Aug. 29 in the morning, using the same format as previously published. We have also contacted Bishop Place and put it on their calendar so the venue will be the same as previously published. It’s not too early to mark your calendar for this informative and, what we think, is an exceptional mini-seminar with very well-known and much in demand speakers. We thank both Bob and Steve for their flexibility in working with us to re-schedule their presentations at a later date. Monica Peters, WCGS Corresponding Secretary
For questions or more information contact WCGS President, Sue Kreikemeier at: 509-635-1303 or aerocraft@completebbs.com. Please RSVP to Sue or whitmancgs@gmail.com by March 28 to accommodate handouts & refreshments. The seminar is free, but donations are welcome at the door.
Directions: Turn off Bishop Boulevard onto Klemgard Ave., follow Klemgard Ave. up the hill and turn left at the top. Do not go into the front entrance, but turn right, continuing up the hill and turn left at the white car ports. Find an appropriate parking place, enter the building through the main doors and go straight ahead to the Social Room.
BIOGRAPHIES OF SPRING SEMINAR SPEAKERS
Robert King’s biography includes the following:
Robert E. King grew up in Pullman where he graduated from WSU with degrees in Anthropology and History. He completed his Ph.D. at the Univ. of Pennsylvania in Anthropology (specialty: Ethnohistory & Archaeology) and since 1981 has worked for the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska. He has been the BLM’s State Archaeologist in Alaska for over 33 years, with his work taking him to much of the state. He has a strong interest in federal land laws including homesteading, and has spoken and written on this subject for several years. Currently, he writes a guest monthly column on the history of homesteading for the Homestead National Monument of America’s electronic newsletter. Locally, he is best known in Whitman County as a frequent contributor to the “Bunchgrass Historian,” having authored over 30 articles in the past nearly 25 years on a variety of topics. He is also an avid genealogist and has co-written several books on various families, with some of his relatives settling in Whitman County in the 1870s. He maintains homes in both Anchorage and Pullman.
Steven Branting’s biography includes the following:
Since 2000, many of this country’s leading history, geography and preservation organizations — including the American Association for State and Local History, The History Channel and the Society for American Archaeology — have honored Steven Branting for the depth, scope and variety of his research and field work.
In 2009, he was nominated for the American Historical Association’s prestigious William and Edwyna Gilbert Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the teaching of history through the publication of journal articles. Branting has written eight (8) books on the history of Lewiston. Branting’s articles have appeared in, among others, the Western Historical Quarterly, The History Teacher, Idaho Magazine, Nostalgia and Idaho Yesterdays.
The Idaho State Historical Society conferred upon him the 2011 Esto Perpetua Award, its highest honor, citing his leadership in “some of the most significant preservation and interpretation projects undertaken in Idaho.” Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter awarded him that year’s Outstanding Cultural Tourism Award for showcasing Idaho’s heritage.
In 2013, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution awarded Branting its coveted Historical Preservation Medal. In 2015, Lewis-Clark State College selected him for the Marion Shinn Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2016 he was awarded the President’s Medallion for his efforts to safeguard the heritage that the college and community have shared since the 1890s.
During 2018, the Lewiston Tribune published 104 of his columns highlighting events and people who featured greatly in the history of Lewis-Clark State College, which was celebrating its 125h anniversary and for whom Branting holds the office of “Institutional Historian,” the first since Henry Leonidas Talkington in the 1940s.
Branting’s eighth Lewiston book — The Words That Were Our Names — was released in October 2019.
Seattle Genealogical Society Cancelled Events
SGS Members and Friends of SGS;
This
is to inform you that some genealogy events scheduled for March are
being canceled due to health concerns raised by the presence of the
Corona virus locally.
Here is a list of cancellations reported to SGS as of today:
- JGSWS has canceled their event originally scheduled for Monday, March 9, at the LDS Stake Center in Bellevue. It was Ron Arons, and his topic, “Sex, Lies, and Genealogical Tape” and it will be rescheduled for another time.
- SGS event Using KC3I with Reiley Kidd and Jess Ramey, originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 11 at 10:15 am at the SGS Library is canceled. It will be rescheduled for another time.
- MAC Computer Users Group Meeting originally scheduled for Wednesday evening, March 11, at the Fiske Library has been canceled.
Watch our Facebook page for any further updates or cancellations
.