TPCGS will hold our monthly meeting this Tuesday, May 14th, at Bates Community College, South Campus. 6:00 pm Member Networking and Sharing6:30 – 8:30 pm Business Meeting and Program PROGRAM: Mapping
your ancestors: how geography can be an untapped resource for genealogy
research. Learn how to use geography and maps to provide visual clues
that will help focus research, locate property and identify lost place
names.
SPEAKER: Janet Camarata Hope to see everyone there! TPCGS
monthly meetings are held September through June from 6 pm to 9 pm,
usually at Bates Technical College, South Campus, Building E, 2201 South
78th St., Tacoma. Guests are always welcome, so bring a friend! For more information check our website at www.tpcgs.org. Please note that we hope to reschedule to cancelled Timelines presentation by Cyndi Ingle in the fall.
The
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) will meet Friday, May 17,
2019, at the Bainbridge Island Public Library on Bainbridge Island,
1270 Madison Ave N, from 10:00a.m. – 12 noon. The topic for the BIGS
Monthly Meeting will be “Finding Your Immigrant Ancestors”, presented
by Claire Smith of Massachusetts, formerly of Bainbridge Island, and
one of the founding members of BIGS. We all have immigrant ancestors,
whether they came in Colonial times or more recently. We’ll be looking
at strategies for tracking down their places of origin, finding out
whether records exist, where to find them and what they can tell you.
Parking is available in the 2 library parking facilities, accessed from
High School Ave and Madison Ave North. Free to members, a $5.00 donation
is suggested for nonmembers. For more information go to http://www.bigenealogy.org or call 206-755-9283. BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.
Thank you! Sue ElfvingBainbridge Island Genealogical SocietyDirector of Publicity and Public Relations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Skagit Valley Genealogical Society Monthly Educational Program:
How to Read a Cemetery
BURLINGTON — Cemeteries are valuable resources for family
historians. Gravestone markers contain clues to our ancestors’ lives.
Come learn the basics of cemetery gravestone types and the mystery behind
the icons on the stone. Best practices for recording cemetery
inscriptions will also be discussed in preparation for a field trip to
Hawthorne Cemetery in Mount Vernon for volunteers to “read” and
record the gravestone inscriptions.
Join us for Skagit Valley Genealogical Society’s monthly program on Sat., May 11, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Burlington Public Library, 820 E. Washington Ave. Admission is free and the public is invited.
THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition May 2, 2019 For more information visit www.gfo.org. Contact us at info@gfo.org or 503-963-1932. Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR. Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
Spring Seminar Attracts Many New Faces
We
were positively thrilled to see so many new faces at our Spring Seminar
last weekend. Thank you all for coming to hear Tony Burroughs speak
about African American genealogy. Attendees
liked Tony’s lessons so much, they didn’t want him to leave. And Tony
was happy to stay to answer their questions, long after the lectures
were done. Many people liked the new venue at the Center for Self Enhancement too. With tiered seating, there wasn’t a bad view in the house. We’d
like to extend a special thanks to those who drove down from Seattle to
attend both Saturday and Sunday’s seminars. Thank you for making the
trip!
Top: Seattle attendees meet Tony. Bottom: Tony Burroughs signs copies of his book.
Call for Help for a Burned Genealogy Library
Last fall, the “Camp Fire” wildfire swept through Northern California, burning the Paradise Genealogical Society‘s library to the ground. Look at the photo. There’s nothing left.
The Paradise Genealogical Society Library on 14 November 2018. Photo: CalFire.
We’re trying to help them get back on their feet, and we need your help to do it. The GFO is pulling surplus books galore off our sales shelves, to send to Paradise to help them reboot their library. We need to sort them to make sure we’re not sending them a bunch of duplicates. Please help us this Sunday morning, May 5, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon at the GFO Library. Our weekly work party will tackle this project first, before we address any of our ongoing activities.
Free First Monday Coming … with Late Hours!
Remember,
next Monday, May 6th, the GFO Library is free to everyone. No day use
fees. Plus, this month we’re staying open late until 8:00 p.m. Come see
what we have to help you find your ancestors.
Reminder: Keep Your Private Data Private at the Library
If you use your own personal login to access a website at the GFO Library, please be sure to log off when you are done. We
don’t want someone coming to the same computer after you and
accidentally messing up your family tree information stored on a site
like Ancestry. Just
today, we found three people signed in an hour after they left the
library. Since the reminder stickers on each computer may not stand out
enough, we’re offering this reminder here as well.
The Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society 2019 Spring Workshop will feature Pam Vestal on Saturday, May 18th, at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Sign-in begins at 10:00 a.m. and workshop lectures begin at 11:00 a.m. Cost of the workshop is $40.00 without lunch and $52.50 with lunch (soup, salad, roll, cookie, and beverage). Pam’s topics: ▪ Finding What You Need and Using What You Find ▪ Filling in the Stories of Our Female Ancestors ▪ Why They Left, Where They Went, Journey Tales For more information, see the full seminar description. You can also download a registration form. Or contact Georga at 541-296-2882 or georga.foster@gmail.com
Survey Results: Many Long-Ago Immigrants
Last
week we asked you when your first known immigrant ancestor arrived in
North America. A large majority have deep roots extending back to
colonial times. ▪ 71.5 % answered 1600s. ▪ 2.8 % said they came even earlier, pre-1600. ▪ 9% said the 1700s. ▪ 15.3% said the 1800s. ▪ 1.4% said the 1900s.
New Survey: Recent Immigrant Ancestors
Last week we asked about your first ancestor to arrive in the U.S. This week we ask about your most recent immigrants.
When you shop Mother’s Day gifts at smile.amazon.com/ch/93-6026015, AmazonSmile donates to Genealogical Forum of Oregon, Inc. In fact, you can support us all year long by using that link to shop!
This
week we’re featuring a 786-page tome documenting the early history of
Colonial Virginia. If you have Virginia roots, you may well find your
ancestors named here. This is not merely a historical description of the
times, it includes many lists of original Land Grant landowners and
plantation owners, deed by deed, complete with locations. Kegley’s Virginia Frontier, The Beginning of the Southwest, The Roanoke of Colonial Days, 1740-1783 includes maps and illustrations.
Published
by The Southwest Virginia Historical Society and written by F. B.
Kegley, this is “Copy #1203 of the Second Printing of 1938.” This
book is in good condition with immaculate pages, no marks of any kind
inside. There are a few spots on the cover and a small separation
between the back cover and the spine. Price with pick-up at GFO: $40. Price with shipping: $50. Contact booksales@gfo.org if you’d like to buy it.
Please Help! We Need a Webmaster
Do you have any background in website management? Our talented volunteer webmaster is leaving, and we need someone to take her place. Web
design skills are not needed since our website provider has a template
we follow. But we do have hundreds of pages on our site since we offer
so many indexes and resources. These need updating when our volunteers
finish each project. Please contact president@gfo.org if you have any questions or wish to volunteer. Thank you.
Saturday, May 4th Virginia Group 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. This month, we will begin with a discussion of Native American history in North Carolina, with an emphasis on Cherokee genealogy. Then, we will move on to general research in North Carolina using resources beyond census and vital records. We’ll use examples from personal research to look at a variety of records and where to find them.
For additional information, check out the group’s blog: Virginia Roots and Vines. You can also contact group leaders Judi Scott and Carol Currency at virginia@gfo.org German Group 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The speaker / die Sprecherin: Mary Ebner The topic / das Thema: “How to interpret DNA” Bring in your chart(s) to share. You might even find a relative in the group! Sunday, May 5th Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. As mentioned above, we’d love to have you help us sort surplus books we plan to donate to the Paradise Genealogical Society after their devastating fire. 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. Monday, May 6th GFO Free Monday 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. GFO open for free to non-members. Wednesday, May 8th PMUG College: Safe and Healthy Macs 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Essential strategies to keep your Mac safe and healthy. Free for GFO and PMUG members. For more info, see: https://www.pmug.org/blog//
Whatcom
Genealogical Society will meet Monday, May 13th, 2 p.m. at the
Bellingham Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way. The program will be a
viewing of a presentation from RootsTech “Trace the Story of an
Immigrant Ancestor in 3 Steps. Visitors always welcome! Contact:
360-733-8300
Did you know WSGS has a Facebook page?? Click here: to access the page. Since the Blog digest only comes out weekly, sometimes we get notified about meetings too late to be seen by our subscribers here on the blog so I post the meeting notice on Facebook. I also share many meeting notices and other interesting articles from genealogical societies in the northwest.
Two years ago I wrote about how to read this blog and any other blog without getting more E-Mails. You can read that article here. I get about 1000-1500 E-Mails a week and I really do not need to get another 100 blog posts each day added to my E-Mails, but I love reading blogs for their hints. I have a blog reader, Feedly and it works great. I have several folders for the blog posts to go to so I have a Genealogy Society Folder, A Genealogy Folder, A Google Folder, A Home & Garden Folder, A Library Folder, A Newspaper Folder (this is my busiest folder about 60 articles a day from the newspapers), A picture folder, and a couple of folders for work.
There is a Feedly app for both IOS and Android smart phones.
Many Genealogical Societies have blogs, many genealogists have a blog, they are great cousin bait. Since Google searches blogs and finds your ancestor in a blog in Texas, you can then contact that blogger and hopefully find a new cousin.
TIP OF THE WEEK –
ANCESTRY’S DNA THRU LINES
(BETA VERSION)
Have
you explored Ancestry’s new tool called ThruLines? It’s intended to
replace the old tool, DNA Circles. It displays your and your DNA matches
common ancestor(s) and family lines in a more comprehensive format.
It
finds connections to your DNA matches by matching persons in each
other’s trees. Even if there are private trees involved, you will get
these ThruLines as long as the trees are set to searchable.
One
small quirk I noticed, it will falsely assume you are, for example, a ½
3nd cousin, if both your 2xgreat grandparents names do not match
identically to those on the other person’s tree. But all in all, it’s a
fun new tool. This is the beta version and it will improve.
DON’T MISS OUR SPRING SEMINAR
“Next Steps for Your DNA Test Results”
with Diahan Southard
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Fairview Christian Church
844 NE 78th St
Seattle, WA 98115
There
is still space available for the Saturday Seminar and the Sunday
afternoon workshop session. Hurry! Registrations must be received at SGS
by Saturday, May 11, to order a box lunch and to avoid the $10 late
registration fee.
In
addition to the Saturday seminar, Diahan Southard is conducting two
workshops on “Organizing Your DNA Results” at the SGS Library on Sunday,
May 19. The Sunday morning session is sold out, but there are still
seats available for the Sunday afternoon session, 12:00 pm-2:00 pm.
GiveBig, a 24 hour online, annual fund-raising program for non-profits in Washington State, will be held May 8, 2019.
The
Seattle Genealogical Society (SGS) is an educational organization
devoted exclusively to furthering genealogical research, promoting
interest in family history, and preserving records. We offer one-on-one
mentoring, conduct classes and seminars, compile and publish research
materials, and maintain a computer-equipped, 15,000 volume library open
to our members, as well as the general public, for free.
Have you attended one of our classes or seminars? Or visited our library to discover the story of your ancestors?
You
can help us provide these quality programs and maintain our excellent
library with your tax deductible gift on May 8th. Use the link below to
donate and thank you so much for your support!
SECOND SATURDAY SPEAKER SERIES
“OHIO: THE CROSSROADS OF A YOUNG NATION”
MAY 11, 2019 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
What
do Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas Edison, Paul Newman, Toni Morrison and Neil
Armstrong all have in common? They were all born and raised in “The
Buckeye State”, Ohio.
Ohio
was part of the Old Northwest Territory and became a powerhouse
throughout the 19th century. The population grew by leaps and bounds –
from 42,159 at the beginning of the 19th century to 4,157,545 by 1900.
Ohio was along major migration and distribution routes westward,
including the Ohio River, Lake Erie, Erie Canal, National Road, Lincoln
Highway and major railroad lines. With the rapidly expanding population
and strategic geographic location, chances are one of your ancestors
spent time or traveled through Ohio. Speaker, Heidi Mair, invites you to
come learn how to find the traces of your ancestors in Ohio and explore
the role Ohio played in our developing nation. SGS Family History Writing Contest II
Submissions for the SGS Family History Writing Contest II are requested!
All writers are welcomed; all stories are welcomed! Prizes will be awarded.
Keep
the word count under 3000 words. We will not retype your story, so make
sure you send it to us in Word form. Photos enhance a story.
Cite the facts, but since these are usually your family stories, there aren’t many.
It
is preferred that these are unpublished works. If your story has been
published before, make sure you have permission to republish. Let us
know name of the publication and when it was published.
A committee will review all submissions and award the prizes. Some documents selected for publication will receive prizes.
The committee makes all decisions and all decisions are final.
If you have any questions, just let us know. This is a great summer project!!
HELP FOR A CALIFORNIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
Recently
SGS became aware of significant need at another genealogical society.
The Paradise Genealogical Society of California was devastated by the
“Camp Fire” in Northern California last year. That society had their own
building, with a library of over 2700 titles. It was completely
destroyed. To help them rebuilt, the SGS Library has offered some of its
own duplicate periodicals and books. SGS
has already received a donation to package and ship materials to the
Paradise Society. If you have any genealogical materials you could
donate to help the Paradise Genealogical Society, please bring your
donations to the SGS Library and we will take care of the rest.
Paradise Genealogical Society is hoping for these types of contributions :
Materials pertaining to Northern California
Materials pertaining to all of California
Materials pertaining to any US state
General genealogical research materials
** Please no further “Source Book”, “Red Book”, or Internet books are needed
If you have any questions or require clarification, please contact Sue Jensen, SGS Library Director, at the Library phone number: 206 522-8658 or email her at library@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org
SAVE THE DATE
“Ins and Outs of Indexes:
Keys to Unlock Probates, Deeds and More” ,
With Mary Kircher Roddy,
Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State,
LDS Factoria Church Building
4200 124th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98006
Monday, May 13, 7:15 pm
Doors
open at 6:30 pm for all to enjoy the extensive JGSWS library’s
genealogical resources. Free Wi-Fi, admission, and refreshments. Come
early to network with other attendees. Presentation starts promptly at
7:15 pm.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”.
Print out a Seminar Brochure and mail your registration to: SGS, PO Box 15329, Seattle, WA 98115
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
Sunday, May 4, 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, May 5, 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, May 11, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Family Tree Maker (FTM) Users Group, led by Reiley Kidd & Jess Ramey. Novices are welcome to join our group, as we share our knowledge of this powerful and versatile genealogy software program, and learn from each other, while having fun at the same time. Join us, and bring your questions!
Saturday, May 11, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, Second Saturday Speakers Series – “Ohio: The Crossroads of a Young Nation” with Heidi Mair
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
Would you enjoy having in your yard (or town park?) a start from one of America’s historic trees? “With most of the forest giants gone, Americans now focus on saving venerable trees that presided over much of our history. For Phyllis and Tom Hunter, founders of American Heritage Trees (AHT), that means producing saplings of trees associated with historic people or events.” Their farm is located in Lebanon, Tennessee. Would you like a sapling (tree start) from Alex Haley’s home? Amelia Earhart’s birthplace? Mount Vernon? Robert E. Lee’s home? Benjamin Franklin’s??
For more information, click to www.americanheritgetrees.org . The site includes a hardiness zone map; prices range from about $60 to $125, depending on the size of the sapling, plus shipping.
(Thanks to American Spirit, the DAR magazine for tipping me off to this.)
You are free to copy articles to any non-commercial web site or message board or printed publication you wish. Don’t bother to ask permission, just do it.
