Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State Meeting

by Charles Hansen
Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State

You are invited to attend our upcoming free genealogy event, on
Monday evening, January 13, 2020.

We would also appreciate it if you could help us publicize this event using this email or our flyer, attached above, by emailing it out, posting it on your bulletin board or calendar, and/or website, or handing out flyers to or sharing this email with individuals and groups you think might be interested.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State is pleased to present our January 2020 meeting program:

“Finding My Roots: Using the Entire Genealogy Toolbox”

presented by Coral Grant, Genealogical Lecturer

DATE:  Monday, January 13, 2020

Location:  LDS Factoria Building
4200 124th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA  98006

·         Doors open at 6:30 p.m., for all to enjoy our extensive library of genealogical resources, including FREE access to the LDS FHC computers and genealogical websites!

·         Free Wi-Fi available. Come early and network with other attendees!

·         Presentation starts promptly at 7:15 p.m.

  • Free admission and refreshments

ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

The secrets that Coral Grant’s grandparents thought were safe eventually became unraveled through the magic of DNA, archival research, and tenacity. The truth revealed an unknown ancestor and a truly rich Latvian heritage. Working back in time, this adventure begins in the Garment District of Toronto, Canada in the early 1930’s and ends deep in the Latvian countryside of the 18th century. The journey includes a life altering deportation from the Latvian countryside during World War I, a survivor’s struggle to return home, a deception to avoid military service, and a most reluctant immigration. Along the way, Coral encountered many genealogical roadblocks: name changes, protective descendants, and multiple individuals with the same name. Using her research to share her family story and Latvian Jewish history, Coral’s presentation highlights the use of all the tools available to the genealogist. Ultimately, the goal of our genealogical research is to honor our ancestors and to make sure we do not forget their stories. Coral’s presentation will leave you with the tools to break through your genealogical roadblocks and find your ancestors, for you to tell their stories.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER

As a retired Public Health Administrator and now a business owner and motivational speaker, Coral Grant developed a fascination/obsession with genealogy. Researching and exploring her family’s roots to preserve for the next generation has opened many new doors and fundamentally changed her life and perspective. Coral has had the privilege to have lived and worked from coast to coast in Canada but landed on the west coast of Vancouver Island, where she loves to run, hike and enjoy nature with her husband and dog.

Please    by clicking on
https://www.facebook.com/Jewish-Genealogical-Society-of-Washington-State-548090815567964/

Please visit our website at http://www.jgsws.org to join or to donate to JGSWS to help support the incredible speakers and workshops we bring to you, to view library listings, download handouts, or for more information.  JGSWS is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Membership dues and donations are tax deductible.

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing you, your friends and family members!

Karen vanHaagen Campbell
President/Publicity/Programs, Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State
president@jgsws.org
www.jgsws.org

QSL Card

by Charles Hansen

The Seattle Genealogical Society receives many interesting and valuable donations. One such donation came in the mail from a gentleman in another state. Inside the letter was a post card with a photo of a man on it. The caption read “Old Man Ryan Ex US Navy.” Above his photo was a set of letters and numbers reading W7FSH. What is this? There were smaller words above the strange code that said: Amateur Radio Station.

The post card sent to us was a QSL card. A “calling card” for a Ham Radio Operator. Wikipedia says this about QSL cards: “it is a written confirmation of either a two-way radio communication between two amateur radio stations or a one-way reception of a signal from an AM radio, FM radio, television or shortwave broadcasting station. The QSL card derived its name from the Q code ‘QSL’. A Q code message can stand for a statement or a question (when the code is followed by a question mark). In this case, ‘QSL?’ (note the question mark) means “Do you confirm receipt of my transmission?” while ‘QSL’ (without a question mark) means “I confirm receipt of your transmission.”.

According to a knowledgeable volunteer at Seattle Genealogical Society, the QSL card is used to confirm contact between two radio stations, in a creative, personalized way. This QSL card was telling the recipient “W8JPY” that W7FSH had not received the maps that he requested. Our volunteer explained that Ham Radio Operators exchange these cards not only to let the other operator know that they contacted one another, but as a “simple gathering of printed documentation of a ham’s communications over the course of his or her radio career” from locations all over the world.

The name under the photo “Old Man Ryan” has a special meaning also. Male radio operators are called “Old Man” while female radio operators are called “Young Lady”. Each operator creates a card with enough information on it so that the person receiving the QSL will know just where in the world they came from. As you can see on this card Mr. Albert H. Ryan used to be in the US Navy, lives in Seattle and his station call letters are W7FSH. The date that Mr. Ryan communicated with the station W8JPY (Mr. K.S. Vogt of the Tower Club at Ohio State University) was 7 April 1937.

QSL cards are still in use today and our volunteer has a vast collection of her own cards with one sent from Christmas Island!

Thanks to Mr. David Doss from Michigan for sending us this card and to A.W. for her explaining its significance to us.

Sue Jensen, Director of the Library, Seattle Genealogical Society

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday E-News

by Charles Hansen
THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition December 26, 2019
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
Genealogy Boot Camp for Beginners — only 1 seat left!
This popular class is nearly sold out! The next Boot Camp won’t be until Saturday, May 30. Class is geared for beginners and computer skills are a prerequisite.
All communications are done via email, and you must be able to download and print the class notes. GFO members may attend for free, non-members $20.
Register for Boot Camp
News from the Library: We’re Digitizing Periodicals
Look for this logo in our catalog for searchable digital periodicals. We’ve got a big improvement to announce! Until now, you’ve had to go through periodicals issue by issue and page by page in hope of finding something relevant. Now, you’ll be able to use a computer to search for any word or name in a decade’s worth of periodicals! We’re creating digital files that you can access when you visit the library. Each digitized periodical will have an icon in the catalog to indicate it is an ePublication. Here are the family history newsletters we’ve done so far:
▪ Adams Addenda ▪ A Day to Remember (Aday) ▪ Agnewsletter ▪ The Alden Letter ▪ Alee’s All Around ▪ Alexander Agenda ▪ Alton-Allton-Aulton Family Association Newsletter ▪ The Anderson Album ▪ Babb Family Association News and Notes ▪ Backenstoss Family Association of America ▪ Baker Family Newsletter ▪ Baldwin By-Lines ▪ Francis Ball Bulletin ▪ Barnard Lines ▪ Barnett Banner ▪ Barrett Branches ▪ Canfield Family Association Newsletter
Want to help? Send a message to library@gfo.org or come to the work party on Sunday January 29. As a team, we’ll be prepping more items for scanning–and the work will probably go on all day. So, if afternoon is better for you–here’s your chance to help.
Is a Train Blocking 11th? New Website Can Tell You
We’ve all long been frustrated with Union Pacific trains blocking SE 11th Ave. near the GFO for up to an hour. There’s nothing to be done about the trains, but now you can get a heads up if the trains are there. Save this website: https://isatrainblocking11th.com
Screenshot from website of isatrainblocking11th.com It’ll tell you if a train is currently blocking the tracks and for how long the blockage has lasted. A team from DevelopmentNow “used AI/machine learning, vision processing, predictive heuristics, and off-the-shelf hardware to build a cloud-based prototype of this application. After a bit of tweaking and testing, the application tells us with reasonable accuracy whether a train is blocking the intersection outside our window.“
Shhhhhhh, We’re Researching
Have you noticed what’s not in the GFO Library any more? Screeching chairs! We found some better chair glides that don’t make such a racket on the concrete floors. They may wear down faster and have to be replaced, but we think it’s worth it. Several members have already commented they like how quiet the chairs are.
Surplus Book: Willamette Valley History
Here’s a fun book for the Oregon history aficionado in your family. Robert Carlton Clark published History of the Willamette Valley Oregon in 1927. He covers geography, boundary disputes, early settlement, pioneer life, the Pony Express and railroads, politics, and more.
It’s a large volume filling 888 pages, complete with a thorough index and pages of photos. This book is in sound shape with a great binding. However, as a former library book, it contains marks on some pages. Elsewhere we’ve seen this book for sale for $70.
Our price for pick up at the GFO: $40 Our price to ship to you: $48 Please contact booksales@gfo.org if you’re interested.
Survey Results: Giving the Gift of Genealogy
Seventy percent of the people who responded are giving genealogy-related gifts this year. Here are some of the replies:
A y-DNA test for one brother, and an autosomal for the other . Trying to find their grandfather thru dna. A 23andMe test kit destined for a friend interested in knowing more about his paternal and maternal lines (the y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroup designations are included in the 23andMe ancestry test). And for another friend searching for an unknown grandparent: a Family Tree DNA “Family Finder” (autosomal) test kit.
Photographs and family trees I have already gifted an electronic copy of over 300 pictures from my deceased husband’s family to cousins of his that most have never seen.
I have given of my time to help others break down brick walls and learn how to use resources new to them. Then I helped someone who had forty years of pedigree charts and family group sheets in paper form only create a database. Hoping to convince that person of the usefulness of having a personal database. We also scanned a book of family photographs to be able to share copies with other family members.
A Civil War publication Our Cards – playing cards with pictures, vital statistics and other facts of 52 ancestors. I am gifting family and some genealogy research groups (including GFO) a copy of the 1841 Missouri to Oregon book once the copyright office approves the copyright.
New Survey: New Year’s Resolutions
Many of us make New Year’s resolutions about our genealogy. “This year I’ll get organized,” or “This year I’ll break through my brick wall.” What about you? Are you making any resolutions?
Take the Survey Now
This week at GFO …
Sunday, December 29th
Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m
Come on by, any time this Sunday. We’ll be prepping periodicals for scanning and doing some scanning too!
Tuesday, December 31st
Library Closed: New Year’s Eve
Wednesday, January 1st
Library Closed: New Years Day

Happy New Year

by Charles Hansen

The card is embossed to look like a real bow above, but it is just printed.

This postcard is from Jennie (Cronk) Dillingham, wife of my grandmother Anna (Dillingham) Hansen’s first cousin Erland Burtrand Dillingham to Anna Hansen. My grandparents and four children had moved earlier in 1910 to Columbus, Montana from near Sebeka, Minnesota. Soon the fifth child Leigh Erland Hansen would be born.

International German Genealogy Partnership

by Charles Hansen
International German Genealogy Partnership   2021 CONFERENCE

1 January – 29 February 2020
The Call for Proposals will open on 1 January 2020 for presentations during the 2021 International German Genealogy Conference in Cincinnati, sponsored by the International German Genealogy Partnership and hosted by the Hamilton County (Ohio) Genealogical Society.

Potential speakers with specialized genealogical knowledge, skills, or techniques are invited to submit proposals.

A flyer on the IGGP website has full details about the types and lengths of presentations desired, the selection process, and compensation. Check out the flyer to see the types of tracks and topics anticipated for the Conference, and pass this message on to speakers who may wish to submit proposals.  

New this year: All sessions must address German genealogy topics Some sessions may be conducted partially in the German language Two-hour workshops and thirty-minute express sessions in addition to one-hour presentations  Increase in honorarium The portal to submit proposals for presentations will be live beginning 1 January 2020. Go to the IGGP website, then click on the Conference 2021 tab. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm ET on 29 February 2020.

The International German Genealogy Partnership’s Conference has become the largest in the world devoted exclusively to German genealogy. Nearly 1,000 people are expected to attend the 2021 conference in Cincinnati, a center of German-American heritage since mass immigration began in the 1830s.

Genealogists dedicated to serious research will come to the International German Genealogy Conference from around the world to attend 80 sessions on German genealogy, sharpen their skills, and interact with other researchers.

Questions may be emailed to program.conference@iggp.org. You may also subscribe to receive conference updates from IGGP.

Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society January Meeting

by Charles Hansen

The Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society will meet on January 11, 2020 in the downstairs classroom at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. This months program will be the ” Individual Research Assistance” project. The project consists of members collaborating with other members in solving their research dead ends or brick walls.The project will run both January and February. Members are encouraged to bring their laptops and their research data. A short business meeting will begin at 10:30 followed by the beginning of our research assistance project. There is no admission charge to the Discovery Center for attending our meetings. A $1.00 donation is appreciated to cover room rental.  

Heritage Quest Research Library Closed for Holidays

by Charles Hansen
Holiday Greetings
No matter how you choose to celebrate the holidays, we take this opportunity to wish you a joyous New Year and to THANK YOU for your support of Heritage Quest Research Library.  We exist because of you and we continue to serve the genealogy community with your help.
The Library will be CLOSED:
Tuesday, December 24th
Wednesday, December 25th 
Tuesday, December 31st
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
so that our volunteers may celebrate with their families.
We look forward to seeing you in the near future to help you “become the family historian and bring your ancestors to life.”

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday E-News

by Charles Hansen
THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition December 19, 2019
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
Your Tax-Deductible Dollars Help Support the GFO
Thank you! We are a bit more than halfway to our fundraising goal! There is still time to make your tax-deductible, end-of-year donation to support the GFO’s mission and to give a gift that helps us preserve heritage to share with future generations.
Give Now to Our Annual Appeal
We have a Gold Star rating with GuideStar. Plus, there are ways to help maximize your chartiable giving. The GFO belongs to the Oregon Cultural Trust. Also, your employer may provide matching donations, especially through Benevity. The GFO opens it’s doors to all. We offer so many benefits to those who visit the library, search our website, or preserve their family history with us. Your support is crucial and so very appreciated.
Spring Seminar Update: New DNA Speaker
You may remember that, in October, we announced that Blaine Bettinger would be our speaker at our next Spring Seminar. Last month, Blaine contacted us apologizing profusely. He’d double-booked himself and could not come to Portland after all. Naturally, we were disappointed. But, we know how important DNA has become in genealogy, and wanted to keep this important topic. We were thrilled to learn that an exceptionally accomplished DNA expert is available. We’re proud to announce that Certified Genealogist® Karen Stanbary is coming to speak April 4 and 5 to help you Solve Your Puzzles with DNA.
Karen is an author and national lecturer focusing on using genetic evidence correlated with documentary evidence to solve genealogical brick walls. Her genealogical practice specializes in Midwestern U.S., Chicago, and Mexican research as well as complex problem-solving, unknown parentage, and DNA analysis. She is a coordinator and faculty member at GRIP, IGHR, and SLIG. She received the NGSQ Award for Excellence for her complex evidence case study incorporating traditional documentary research and autosomal DNA analysis in the June 2016 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. Registration for our GFO Spring Seminar opens on December 21. Be sure to get your seat early!
Genealogy Boot Camp for Beginners is Filling Up
Start 2020 off with a bang! If your goal is to start researching, get back to your research, organize what you’ve found, or just pick up a few good tips, then plan to join Laurel Smith on Thursday, January 9 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm at the GFO for a day of beginning genealogy.
Basic computer skills are a prerequisite. All communications are done via email, and you must be able to download and print the class notes. Bring a sack lunch, snacks, and a beverage so you can keep going as the class does. GFO members may attend for free, non-members $20.
Register for Boot Camp
December Star: Kendra Blumberg
Kendra Blumberg is an organizational marvel. In her first year at the GFO, she helped us land a record number of donations for our spring raffle. This fall, she stepped in again to schedule speakers for the next Open House. In a whirl of efficiency, she filled most of the slots in just two weeks. Watch for her to teach some computer classes here soon too! Thank you, Kendra!
Your Last Minute Gifts Can Mean Cash for the GFO
Remember that when you shop for the holidays at AmazonSmile, each purchase nets a small donation for the Genealogical Forum Of Oregon, with no impact on the price you pay! It is a great way to tackle your last minute holiday shopping while helping the GFO. As of November 2019, the GFO has received over $820 from AmazonSmile! Every little bit counts.
New Tables Save Your Knees and Our Backs
We hope you like the new tables in our GFO classroom. You won’t whack your knees any more on the leg supports, because the cross bars are at the rear of each table. Also, these tables are super light weight. That makes it easier for us to move them around when we need to rearrange the table formations.
Surplus Book: Oregonian’s Handbook of 1894
We’ve got a unique piece of Oregon history available. The Oregonian’s Handbook of the Pacific Northwest was published as a hardcover book by The Oregonian newspaper in 1894. The “Handbook” describes itself as containing “a mass of interesting matter on the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Western Montana as well as extended mention of British Columbia and Alaska.” What follows are 631 pages of articles and
illustrations of life in this part of the country before the turn of the 20th Century. Take a step back in time by owning this piece of history. We’ve found this book for sale for $125 elsewhere. Our version is in good shape, still well bound, but has light damage on the
cover, on the title page, and has a few marks inside. Our price to pickup at the GFO: $70
Our price to ship to you: $78 Please contact booksales@gfo.org if you’re interested.
Survey Results: Holiday Genealogy Gifts
Results from last week: About 75% of last week’s respondents indicated that their wish list contained genealogy items. Here are some of the replies:
An Ancestry DNA kit for my sister (who’s not interested in genealogy). I bought it as a gift for myself. I just hope she takes it because I haven’t asked her yet! Back issues of the Virginia Genealogist by Dorman. I don’t make a list, I just gift myself what I want. My latest purchase was RootsMagic 8. I’m looking forward to it’s release.
Finding the son my aunt gave up for adoption in 1945. That the copyright office approves the book I submitted about the 1841 wagon train so it can be made available to all the people who have been asking for it.
Scholarship to GRIP. Travel to New England. The gift of memberships. Books! Time to visit where my ancestors lived.
And the survey editor thanks Juli for sending the spinach casserole recipe!
New Survey: Giving the Gift of Genealogy
This week, we’re asking if you are giving any genealogy-related gifts to others this holiday season.
Take the Survey Now
This week at GFO …
Saturday, December 21st
No GenTalk this month
Sunday, December 22nd
Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – Noon
There’s always lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there.
Tuesday, December 24th
GFO Closed – Christmas Eve
Wednesday, December 25th
GFO Closed – Christmas Day

A Merry Christmas

by Charles Hansen

A Christmas card to my Grandmother Anna (Dillingham) Hansen from Alice Costello (DeRemer) Hansen wife of Peter Hansen. Peter was my grandfather Anton Hansen’s older brother. The card was not mailed so I don’t know the date. The postcard is heavily embossed.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.