Today’s mystery is a “horse of a different color,” as is said. A friend told me that the Color of the Year for 2019 is Living Coral.
Sez who? How come? And who cares?? Gonna repaint your living room, redecorated your bathroom or buy a whole new wardrobe in fabulous Living Coral? Doubt.
The German Interest Group of The Eastside Genealogical Society (EGS)
will meet on Friday, February 1, 2019, from 1 to 3 pm in the Primary
Room of the Latter-day Saints Church at 10675 NE 20th St, Bellevue, WA
98004 with doors opening at 12:45 pm for networking. Visitors are always
welcome at our meetings.
Topic: “Using the Online Catalogs for the University of Washington
Suzzallo & Allen Libraries” – Learn to use the advanced search
functions of the card catalogs in preparation for our field trip to
Suzzallo & Allen Libraries in March. Learn to develop quality search
terms, access research guides and the university wi-fi network, obtain a
copy card or use printing services and asking for assistance from the
librarian.
Presenter: Janet Camarata is a genealogist with over 30 years’
experience. She is a seminar presenter, educator and trainer in
genealogy societies, libraries, retirement centers and senior centers
across Washington and supported genealogy by volunteering in a variety
of ways – presenter, educator, newsletter editor, program coordinator,
publicity and past-president of South King County Genealogical Society
(SKCGS). She currently leads the SKCGS Technology User Group designed
to address the technical needs of genealogists in the today’s world of
online and offline genealogical research. She is also an instructor of a
year-long, 6-week series of classes, Genealogy: Discovering Your
Ancestors at Pierce College and Puget Sound Genealogical Society that
addresses both topics – genealogy and technology support research in
today’s world. Janet is a member of the Association of Professional
Genealogists, a graduate of the University of Washington Genealogy and
Family History program. She has a B.A. (Education) degree from Central
Washington University and a master’s degree from Antioch University.
She also taught within The Boeing Company and at the University of
Phoenix.
For more information, kindly visit our website at https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com/ .
REGISTER FOR OLYMPIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY’S DNA SEMINAR
Have you taken a DNA test to reveal your genetic origin, but you aren’t sure how to understand that data? The Olympia Genealogical Society is pleased to have Blaine Bettinger, The Genetic Genealogist, as the speaker for our Spring Seminar. Dr. Bettinger will be presenting four lectures on how to use results from DNA tests to understand your family history. DNA is a powerful tool in genealogy, but it is a challenge to unlock that toolbox. Dr. Bettinger will go beyond the basics of DNA testing. Instead, he will focus on various tools and methods for analyzing your DNA results.
This year’s Olympia Genealogical Society Spring Seminar will be held on Saturday, March 30 at the Capitol Event Center, conveniently located at 6005 Tyee Drive SW in Tumwater, which offers plenty of level free parking and easy walking access.
Registration is now open, at $50 for OGS members and $60 for others.
Optional lunch is available for $15 extra. Registration details are on
Olympia Genealogical Society’s website, www.OlyGenSoc.org
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Joyce T. Ogden
jtogden@comcast.net
Are you watching the PBS show, We’ll Meet Again, with host Ann Curry? She presents people who crossed paths with somebody long ago who had a life-long-lasting impression on their life. In Season 2, Episode 5, recently, they had the story of Nelson Figueras who was a young boy Cuban boat refugee in the 60s. He was placed in a foster home in Yakima, Washington, and he never forgot that family and wanted to find them again to thank them once again. They did find “his” family and host Ann Curry showed the reunion with the mother (the father had passed).
Point of the story: The show’s research team visited the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society library and featured Sue Erickson helping Nelson Figueras!! The show aired on January 1st, and you can view it for free through January 30th. Go take a look at this episode and you’ll be hooked to want to watch more.
| THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition January 10, 2019 |
| Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member! |
|
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 |
| We Don’t Look a Day Over 50, Wouldn’t You Say? |
| The GFO Turns 73 Years Old This Month! Thank you Dorothy Van Pelt, Caroline Higley, and Daisy Smith. On January 22, 1946, these three women created the Genealogical Forum of Oregon. They were members of the Daughters of the American Revolution but wanted to belong to a genealogy group. Miss Higley served as GFO’s very first Chair. That year, they met at the Central Library and dues were $2 per year. We’ve come a long way since then! The library, which started in a member’s home, finally found an independent space in 1968. It moved four more times, in 1974, 1994, 1999, and 2011. Now, with 50,000 holdings, the GFO has grown to become the largest genealogy library in the Pacific Northwest. There’s a great retrospective of our history in the September 2016 edition of The Bulletin. It’s now available online to everyone. |
| Stump Your Friends with Portland History |
| Trivia Time: On January 11, 1855, history was made right here in Portland. What happened that day? The answer rests in the rare books section of the GFO Library. That was the day Perry Baker married Maria Ward. What made this wedding so special? It was the first marriage ever recorded in Multnomah County. Even better, one of their direct descendants is a valued volunteer at the GFO today! Our library holds dozens of the county’s original marriage record books and we’re still in the process of indexing them. If you know anyone looking for marriage records, send them to the Marriage Indexes on our website. |
| We Need You to Run for the GFO Board |
|
When
I first attended classes at the GFO I wondered why I’d never heard of
this place before. “It’s a hidden gem,” people would say. I knew it
shouldn’t stay hidden! So I volunteered to boost the GFO’s Facebook page
and later was recruited to be a Research Assistant. A year later I was asked to join the board. It has felt great to contribute in a meaningful way to what we do. The GFO Board has three seats opening this year: Vice President, Treasurer, and Director at Large. Would you consider running for one of them? The GFO is an all-volunteer organization, and we could not function without the people who step up to serve. Some positions require more time, like the Treasurer, which requires bookkeeping experience with QuickBooks. Others take only a few hours a month like the The Vice President and the Director at Large (who functions as a liaison with our Special Interest Groups). Board members are expected to attend a minimum of nine of the monthly board meetings which are held in the evening of the 2nd Tuesday of each month, and to actively participate in one or more of our significant events. Candidates must file by our annual membership meeting on March 16 at 2 p.m. New board members will take office in July when our new fiscal year begins. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment and encourage anyone to apply. If you have questions please email president@gfo.org. Or, if you’re ready to run, send in your bio and a brief statement of candidacy. Vince Patton President, GFO |
| Own This History |
| Forget Portlandia. Would you like a copy of Portania? That’s the yearbook from 1910 for Washington High School in Portland. We have a copy for sale at the GFO, along with The Beaver yearbooks of the 1920s from Oregon Agricultural College, now O.S.U. Find them all on our $10 shelves at the front of the library. |
| Share the Word – It’ll Help Us |
|
Can you lend us a hand? We’re not asking for money. All we need is for you to share our news. Too many people refer to the GFO as a “hidden gem.” We’ve got to take “hidden” out of that equation. Please tell others about all we offer: 50,000 holdings, access to expensive databases, and 180 free classes every year. Here’s a really easy way to do it: Please share our posts on Facebook and. Twitter to your circle of friends. It’ll help us reach a whole new community! |
| SCGS Jamboree 2019 Registration Now Open |
| The Southern California Genealogical Society has a big conference planned May 30 – June 2 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Registration is now open. SGGS says, “If your members are thinking of coming and want any of the limited supply events – Workshops, Meals, Marriott reservations — please consider registering this week.” The Jamboree features more than 70 speakers, including the GFO’s own Emily Aulicino and Pam Vestal. |
| Update to Last Week’s German Guidebook Tip |
| Last week we passed on a handy tip about a great German guidebook called Where does my family come from? It turns out this guide is not just in German. They have an English version of their guidebook too! |
| This week at GFO … |
| FRIDAY, January 11th Mexican Ancestry Group 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. This Special Interest Group (SIG) pertains specifically to Mexican ancestors from Mexico and the American Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California). Beginning and intermediate researchers are welcome. Some subjects will include online parish records, Hispanic genealogy societies, Family History Library/FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, solving genealogical problems, methodology of organizing your research, etc. Of course this group will also be about sharing our research experiences, and having fun. If you know of any other people interested in Hispanic genealogy tell them about the up and coming group. They don’t have to be a GFO member to participate. For questions or comments, please email Vince at sw@gfo.org. SATURDAY, January 12th Great Lakes Region 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Have you ever wondered if your ancestor was a Mason or Elk or Odd Fellow? Our first hour features guest speakers Dale and Elsie Deatherage who will discuss techniques for researching the records of fraternal organizations. It is an interesting topic that might shed some light on your family’s history. In the second hour we will share our genealogy brick walls and success stories. Feel free to bring your research questions to share. If your ancestors were in the area of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, or Ontario CANADA, this is the SIG for you! Contact the group leaders at greatlakes@gfo.org. Writers’ Forum 1 – 3 p.m. This is a peer group of genealogists, who meet to learn about writing and to share our writing with each other. Peggy Baldwin facilitates this group and can be reached at writers@gfo.org. SUNDAY, January 13th Library Work Party Yes, of course there’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come. There’s always lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 a.m. 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. WEDNESDAY, January 16th Learn & Chat 10 a.m. – noon “Maps: A Rich Resource – How and Where to Find, How They Change Over Time, Follow Your Ancestors Path.” At Learn & Chat some of the learning comes from speakers with particular expertise but most of it comes from the sharing of experiences and knowledge of attendees who have developed methods that work for them. And if you have been doing genealogy for any length time you have likely experienced the wonderful moments of exhilaration, the successes that you then share with others and that drive you to continue researching. Unfortunately those times can be few and far between. Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. Facilitated by Jean Quan and Sandy Alto. Send questions to learnandchat@gfo.org. Open Late to 8 p.m. |
Among many others, I’ve been “Scribing” or helping to index Washington records with SCRIBE, the indexing program of the Washington State Archives. As I’m working, I cannot help but think “what happened to THAT family, to THOSE people?” Recently I indexed the family of Leander Monson who in 1904 and 1906 (according to the school censuses) lived in Langley, Island County, Washington. Doing a little Ancestry supplemental research I learned about the Monsons.
Leander Otto Monson (1854-1908) and his wife, Emma Johansson (1861-1934) were both born in Switzerland; they married near Chicago. He was a farmer and ended up in Langley having Esther, Elvira, Arthur, Ernest, Florence and Carl.
The stories of our ancestor’s migrations are wonderful to imagine and/or to find and read.
Have you noticed the Blog banner changes every time you visit? The photos are submitted by readers like you — and Sue Schack Jensen, Library Director at the Seattle Genealogical Society. Sue recently sent us two beautiful scenic photos:
Puget Sound and the Olympics from Myrtle Edwards Park, Seattle.We’re always looking for scenic photos of our beautiful state for the rotating photo gallery on the blog banner. It’s easy — just send a Washington State jpg image to wsgsblog@wasgs.org with a description of the photo. The blog masters will take care of the rest!
The Okanogan County Genealogical Society recently completed their Book Repair and Preservation project funded, in part, by WSGS’s Innovative Grant program.
On December 31, 2018, OCGS member Phil Brown completed repairs of the “Tonasket Times Newspapers” years 1913 – 1952. Each of the 22 oversized books, which are located at the Okanogan County Historical Society, took five rolls of a specialized archival document repair tape.
The restoration project began in December 2017 and took almost 200 volunteer hours and 1,230 volunteer miles.
Besides the Okanogan County Genealogical Society, the four other successful 2018 grant winners were:
More information about the Innovative Grant program, including deadlines, will be available soon.
WSGS Regional Representative Patty Olsen has been working with the Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society to revitalize their society. In the most recent issue of their “Tales and Trails” newsletter, the society thanked her for her energy and enthusiasm.
Thank You, Patty Olsen! Our society would like to thank Patty Olsen from the Washington State Genealogical Society for her help in the past year. She has brought new ideas and energy to our group. We are a small society with various hurdles to leap from time to time and she gave us some new insight for a more productive society. She really knows her stuff!! Thank You, Patty!
For more information about Regional Representatives, click here.