Olympia Genealogical Society June Meeting

At the June meeting of Olympia Genealogical Society we will hear Judi Hine, Regent of the DAR Sacajawea Chapter in Olympia, presenting an overview of the Daughters of the American Revolution and what they have to offer all genealogists. Join us on Thursday June 13 at Thurston County Courthouse, Bldg 1, Room 152 at 7 pm.  www.OlyGenSoc.org

Thank-you   JOYCE OGDEN, PUBLICITY

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Joyce T. Ogden
jtogden@comcast.net

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday E-News

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition May 16, 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
Thank You For Offering Your Genealogy Books & More!
You warmed our hearts here at GFO with your offers of help for the genealogy library in Paradise, California, which burned to the ground last year. Thank you to those who reached out. One GFO member has even offered to drive more materials to Paradise when she goes to visit family the end of June—so please keep those donations coming.
To help with the process, we have developed a list of books that are being donated. Here is a link to them. We would like to try to avoid duplicate books. Many of the books on the list are part of incomplete runs of sets published by societies in Oregon and Washington. Some of the reference books are older editions that have been updated. Perhaps you have something that is newer or better than what we are donating—or something that will add more volumes to a series. We were sadly lacking materials that focus on California, but Douglas County Genealogy Society came to the rescue. The books they have offered are on the list in red. We hope some of the societies located in California will pitch in to help too. Any questions may be directed to library@gfo.org.
Two Guest Speakers Saturday at African American Ancestry Group
At noon this Saturday, May 18, the GFO will host a remote video presentation with two guests speaking from different locations. The focus will introduce us to Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage. The Middle Passage was the stage of the triangular trade route in which millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the New World as part of the Atlantic slave trade. Evelyn Aniton McDowell, Ph.D., CPA, CGMA, is an Associate Professor of Accounting at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She is the founder and president of Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, a heritage society for descendants of Africans who were enslaved or indentured in colonial America and in the United States of America. Through genealogical research, she has found more than 35 enslaved ancestors. LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG®, CGL(SM), is the Registrar General of SDUSMP, responsible for reviewing the sufficiency of applications. She is also a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and a frequent speaker at national conferences and Institutes. In 2016 she published a guide for researching African Americans in her home county of Laurens, South Carolina. We hope you’ll join us. All our special interest group meetings are free and open to the public. More information? Email us @ african_american@gfo.org.
GFO’s Connie Lenzen Receives National Award!
Big congratulations to our own Connie Lenzen! Last week, the National Genealogical Society named her as this year’s NGS Fellow. Fellowship in the National Genealogical Society recognizes outstanding work in genealogy or the related fields of history, biography, or heraldry, in addition to outstanding service to the National Genealogical Society. Connie is a highly-regarded, contributing author to national and local genealogical publications. She won the NGS Quarterly’s 1995 Award of Excellence and is a two-time winner of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors Award. From 2005 to 2008, she served as president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She joined the NGS Board of Directors in 2004. That year, the Society was facing financial insolvency, and its future was in question. With her fellow board members, Connie worked tirelessly to ensure its survival. She served on the board for six years, 2004–2010. As chair of the Education Committee, she managed and edited the revised Home Study Course, 2005 revision. By the time she retired from the Board, NGS was again on firm ground. Its membership was strong, and its educational programs were flourishing. Connie is a professional, certified genealogist and has been a member of the GFO for 45 years. We couldn’t be more proud of you, Connie! Congratulations!
PMUG College: Learn Reunion Genealogy Software
The Portland Mac Users Group returns to the GFO on Wednesday, May 22, with a lesson many GFO members could use.

Learn Reunion, the genealogy software written specifically for Macintosh computers.
The class covers:
* Basics of Reunion interface
* Options for printing
* Attaching media files to your family
* Sharing information between Mac and iOS To register: Call 503-228-1779 or email college@pmug.org Bring your Mac to participate with instruction. If you would like additional information about this class, please email us at college@pmug.org. PMUG College is free to GFO and PMUG members, $10 to non-members.
Still time to sign up for June 10th Beginners’ Boot Camp!
Just a reminder that there are only 12 seats left for our upcoming Beginners’ Boot Camp on June 10. It’s a great way to get started in your family tree research. GFO members get in free! Seats are limited so sign up online now. Registration closes June 6. Join Laurel Smith at the GFO for a day of beginning genealogy. There will be sessions about the census, vital records, immigration and naturalization, discussions about genealogy software and database use, organizing your research and more — all geared toward beginners. Bring a sack lunch so the discussion can continue while we eat.
Register Now
George Brown, GFO Friend: March 17, 1923–March 31, 2019
We at the GFO have lost a good friend. George Thomas Brown was a longtime member of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon. George was inspired to deeply investigate the world of French-Canadian genealogy. His research was amazing—solving 200-year-old mysteries. He would wear his beret and red sash with gusto and pride when making presentations. In 2016, George Thomas Brown generously donated his entire French-Canada collection, 137 boxes of books, to the GFO. It took many months to classify and label everything. These amazing materials made the GFO a primary research facility for French Canada resources. Read more about George’s long, memorable life. https://gfo.org/george-brown
Only 1 Day Left to Save $30 on Family Tree Maker Upgrade!
Judging by the turnout we had at GFO for the Family Tree Maker Roadshow, lots of folks have this software. So we thought we’d better pass on this message about the upgrade: Only one day left to preorder the upgrade for $29.99 (save $30.) You must have FTM 2017 to order this discounted upgrade. Sale was posted May 14, so is scheduled to end May 17. Don’t delay! Check your email or use this link.
Survey Results: DNA #1: Autosomal Testing
Of 102 responses, 93.1% of you report having taken an autosomal DNA test. Of those, 75 report having tested at AncestryDNA, followed by Family Tree DNA (48), 23andme (34), My Heritage (12), and Living DNA (7).
New Survey: DNA #2
Which DNA tests have you or close relatives had done?
Y-DNA is passed from father to son.
mtDNA is passed from mother to a child of either gender. Click to take this week’s survey:
Take the Survey
This week at GFO …

Saturday, May 18th

Genealogy Problem Solvers 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

GPS is a monthly support group where we help each other find information about a family line. We will learn to do a reasonably exhaustive search and develop research plans. The focus will shift depending on the needs of the group. Several experienced researchers have volunteered to help. Beginners and intermediate researchers are encouraged to submit problems to work on. For more information contact Katie Daly at GPS@gfo.org.

African American Ancestry Group 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

We will have a remote presentation with two guests from the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, the lineage society whose membership is available only to those whose ancestors were forcibly brought to this country during the slave trade. Our speakers will be Evelyn McDowell, Ph.D., the society’s president, and LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, a board member and also a Certified Genealogist(TM). For more information, contact us at african_american@gfo.org.

Sunday, May 19th

Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Of course there’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come! There’s 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.

Family Tree Maker User’s Group 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Paula is providing the group a show and tell of the separate program “Charting Companion” that works with FTM. It is for users of Windows but may give Mac users some ideas of alternate possibilities.
With any remaining time, we’ll be looking at: media categories and notes in chapter 6, basic viewing of the mapping function from chapter 7, and finding duplicate people covered in chapter 14. Join other users who want to work through the 2017 Companion Guide to Family Tree Maker.

Bring your laptop. Come 30 minutes earlier if you’ve never been or have skipped sessions. You might need an update of the “fake” practice tree we are using. Facilitated by Joyce Grant-Worley.FTM@gfo.org

French Canada Group 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Sharing stories of our history. Come and join this group to learn more about French Canadian ancestry and Acadia. The group leader is Bob LaMarche. FrCan@gfo.org

Wednesday, May 22nd

PMUG College 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Portland Mac Users Group College: Reunion genealogy software on the Mac.
* Basics of the Reunion interface
* Options for printing
* Attaching media files to y our family
* Sharing information between Mac and iOS

Free for GFO and PMUG members. For more info, see: https://www.pmug.org/blog/.

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society June Meeting

Kathryn Laird Bowen, M.B.A.

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Meeting

June 1, 2019 1:00-3:00 PM

Main Floor Auditorium

Downtown Spokane Public Library

906 W Main Ave (cross street: Lincoln)

OUR PROGRAM WILL BE:

BUTCHER, BAKER, CANDLESTICK MAKER,

By: Kathryn Bowen

USING OCCUPATIONS TO FIND YOUR ANCESTORS”

https://ewgsi.org/

Click here For program syllabus

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

TIP OF THE WEEK – THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA’S ONLINE CATALOG
The Library of Virginia in Richmond holds and preserves all the records of the state of Virginia. Its library catalog is readily searchable online, and just as with familysearch.org, an increasing number of their records have been digitized and are accessible online.

For instance, searching under the Images and Indexes tab (see below) gives you a list of over thirty digitized, searchable collections, including Revolutionary War Bounty Warrants and Land Office Military Certificates; Henley’s Marriage/Obituary Index of Virginia Newspapers; and Virginia Land Office Patents and Claims, to name just a few.

To view this section of their catalog, go to their main web page: ( http://www.lva.virginia.gov/ ) and scroll down slightly till you see For The Public; click there (everything under that tab is worth exploring!) select Search the LVA Catalog.  This opens a new page, with 4 tabs; click on Images and Indexes.  Then select which collection(s) you’d like to search.

Seattle Genealogical Society News

LAST CHANGE TO 
REGISTER FOR THE SPRING SEMINAR

You can still register for the 2019 Spring Seminar, “Next Steps for Your DNA Test Results”.    Featuring Diahan Southard, a popular speaker and author of several quick guides on genetic genealogy, a regular contributor to Genealogy Gems, featured writer for Family Tree Magazine, regular contributor to Genealogy Today, as well as other writing engagements.

It’s too late to order a lunch or mail in your registration, but online registration is still open
Register for the Seminar onlineSAVE THE DATE

SGS and SIGS “DNA Learning Series” ,
Mountlake Terrace Library – Sno-Isle Libraries,
23300 58th Ave W
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
6:00 pm – 7:45 pm

 
See the featured article in this eNews! issue for more info. For members of SGS and SIGS only. Registration required. Register by email to: sgsdnasig@gmail.com

Scheduled dates for the next two classes:

  • May 16  “yDNA & mtDNA Testing”
  • June 20  “I’ve Got My Results … Now What?”

SGS 2019 Spring Seminar,
“Next Steps for Your DNA Results”,
with Diahan Southard,
Fairview Christian School,
844 NE 78th St, Seattle, WA 98115
Saturday, May 18 ,  9:00 am – 4:00 pm


From beginner to advanced genealogist, Diahan will help you understand and help you organize your results to find those lost relatives. Topics at the seminar will be:

  • Let Your DNA Tell Your Story
  • Me and My 1,000+ DNA 4th Cousins
  • Making YDNA and mtDNApart of Your Family History
  • Three Next Steps for Your DNA Test Results

Also check out the Special Workshop on Sunday afternoon, May 19: “Organizing Your DNA Results”.

Register for the Seminar online  

          SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Unless otherwise indicated all programs will be at the SGS Library, 6200 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be canceled or postponed because of inclement weather. The SGS Library will closed May 25-27 in observance of Memorial Day weekend, although the Irish and German Special Interest Groups will meet on Saturday, May 25. Note the library will also be closed on May 18, the day of our spring seminar.  

MAY

Thursday, May 16, 6:00 pm-7:45 pm, DNA Learning Series Class 2: “yDNA & mtDNA Testing”,  with Cary Bright and Craig K Gowen. This series is for current members of the Seattle Genealogical Society (SGS) and the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society (SIGS) only. Free advance registration is required for each class.  These classes will be held at the Mountlake Terrace – Sno-Isle Libraries, 23300 58th Ave W, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. To register, email : sgsdnasig@gmail.com

Saturday, May 18, The SGS Library will be closed so all SGS volunteers may attend the SGS 2019 Spring Seminar at Fairview Christian School.

Sunday, May 19, the SGS Library will be closed for two special events – pre-registration required.   

Saturday, May 25, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, Irish Special Interest Group,  with Jean Roth

Saturday, May 25, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, German Special Interest Group,  with Jean Roth
JUNE
Saturday, June 1, 10:15 am -12:15 pm, Family Tree Interest Group,
Lou Daly is leader of this special interest group exploring all the features of the tool Family Tree on FamilySearch.org Come learn about the proposed changes coming to Family Search and Family Tree.

Sunday, June 2, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, with Cary Bright. Q&A first hour, while focus second hour in on Genome Mate Pro.

Saturday, June 8, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, Second Saturday Speakers Series – “Organizing Your Family History in Order to Stay Sane” with Mary Kathryn Kozy

Saturday, June 15, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, Irish Special Interest Group,  with Jean Roth
Saturday, June 15, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, German Special Interest Group,  with Jean Roth

Thursday, June 20, 6:00 pm-7:45 pm, DNA Learning Series Class 3: “I Got My Results… Now What?”,  with Cary Bright and Craig K Gowen. This series is for current members of the Seattle Genealogical Society (SGS) and the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society (SIGS) only. Free advance registration is required for each class.  These classes will be held at the Mountlake Terrace – Sno-Isle Libraries, 23300 58th Ave W, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. To register, email : sgsdnasig@gmail.com

Saturday, June 29, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm,  DNA SIG, this group meets quarterly at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE, Seattle. Co-chaired by Cary Bright and Herb McDaniel. For more information
contact SGSDNASIG@gmail    

Washington State Genealogical Society News

Announcement from the Board of Directors

The Board of WSGS met in Yakima on May 10th & 11th to consider our future. Many changes have come about in the past few years to the science and practice of genealogy. We recognized that WSGS was no longer fulfilling some of our missions developed many years ago. Our current model of business was no longer working.

The Board was challenged with the decision of whether to close our doors or to reinvent WSGS to meet the challenges of staying relevant. The Board made a unanimous decision to take WSGS in a new direction. The renewed WSGS will be rolling out our vision later this year. Hint: preservation! So stay tuned!

Virginia Majewski, President

German Interest Group of The Eastside Genealogical Society June Meeting

The German Interest Group of The Eastside Genealogical Society (EGS) will meet



When:  Friday, June 7, 2019, from 1 to 3 pm (Doors open at 12:40 for networking)

Where: Primary Room of the Latter-day Saints Church

             10675 NE 20th St, Bellevue, WA 98004


Topic:  Four Corners – An opportunity for members to ask questions and receive assistance when using Ancestry, FamilySearch, Facebook and Google websites.  Four tables will be set up with a computer and internet connection at each.  Bring your questions and problems to the appropriate table(s) for answers and solutions.  Feel free to move at any time among any of the tables.   Our meeting time will be used to address as many questions as possible.

Presenters: Janet Camarata for Ancestry, Melanie Matway for FamilySearch, Marilyn Schunke for Facebook and Dorothy Pretare for Google.

Visitors are always welcome. For more information about our Group, kindly visit our website at https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com/  .

Skagit Valley Genealogocal Society Grandpa worked on the Railroad

I’d like to let you know about an upcoming educational program we are offering on Saturday, June 8, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. in partnership with Skagit Valley Genealogical Society. The topic of the program is “Grandpa Worked for the Railroad” and will be presented by Janice Lovelace, PhD. This event is free and open to the public. I’ve attached a flyer with more information. Please feel free to forward or post on any wall you wish! We appreciate your help in getting the word out, because we would like as many people as possible to benefit from our programs.

Please contact me with any questions or feedback. Thank you for helping us spread the word about these free and valuable community resources.

Hope to see you there!

Kathleen Headden, Reference Librarian

Burlington Public Library

820 E. Washington Ave.

Burlington, WA 98233

360-755-0760, ext. 7906

Clark County Genealogical Society May Meetings

WEBINAR: THE 10 MOST USEFUL DATABASES FOR EASTERN EUROPEAN RESEARCH

Wed, 15 May 2019: 11 a.m.-12:30 pm

CCGS Library

With more information available online, it is often possible to find key records for your Eastern European ancestors in free and subscription databases. In this Legacy Family Tree webinar, learn about the various record sets available, how to access them, and how to overcome privacy and language issues and other research roadblocks.

THIRD THURSDAY EVENING HOURS

Thurs, 16 May 2019: 6-9 pm

CCGS Library

Do you find it hard to get to the Clark County Genealogical Library during daytime hours? Come in on Third Thursday to tap into our richest resource: knowledgeable librarians who can help you with your family history search. We won’t do it for you, but we will provide guidance. One librarian has Scandinavian research expertise. The library has over 10,000 books and resources, and free access on our computers to Ancestry.com and AmericanAncestors.com. Bring your own computer and use our free wifi.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: PREPARING FOR A RESEARCH TRIP FOCUS GROUP

Mon, 20 May 2019: 10 a.m.-12 Noon

CCGS Library

Share ideas, ask questions, and learn organizational tips in this genealogy travel research group before you hit the road. Whether you’re staying close to home, traveling across the country, or winging around the world to research your genealogy, it helps to be prepared! Go it alone or join a fall 2019 CCGS group trip to the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT (dates TBD).

SCANDINAVIAN ROOTS FOCUS GROUP

Mon, 20 May 2019: 2-3:30 pm

CCGS Library

If you want to discover your Scandinavian roots, attend this monthly meeting and learn how to conduct your research. Meet with other like-minded individuals who have discovered their ancestors going back many generations. Geographic areas include Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. This group meets regularly on the third Monday of the month, September-May. Members and non-members are welcome.

WEBINAR: GOOGLE DRIVE – AN OFFICE IN THE CLOUD

Wed, 22 May 2019: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

CCGS Library

Never again suffer the heartache of a dead hard drive. Take advantage of ‘found” research time when you keep research notes available anywhere with internet access. Learn how to make it all work in this Legacy Family Tree webinar.

WEBINAR: TOOLS FOR TRANSLATING AND TRANSCRIBING GENEALOGY RECORDS

Wed, 29 May 2019: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

CCGS Library

Documents – old and new – are a requisite resource for genealogy research. This Legacy Family Tree webinar will discuss the latest tools and programs available to translate foreign language documents. Learn how to transcribe documents in order to extract needed information.