Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

COMING SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2019!

Don’t miss our 2019 Spring Seminar, “Next Steps for Your DNA Test Results”, featuring Diahan Southard. From beginner to advanced genealogist, Diahan will help you understand and help you organize your results to find those lost relatives.

Topics for the 4 workshops are:

  • 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 look for the Special Workshops on Sunday morning, May 19: “Organizing Your DNA Results”.

For more information and online registration: http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/

THANK YOU, IRISH FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS

For more than 15 years, dedicated SGS volunteers have staffed a table at the Irish Festival each March. This well-attended festival brings people from all around Puget Sound to the Seattle Center to learn and celebrate Irish culture, history, and music. SGS volunteers answered questions about Irish genealogy to a steady stream of visitors. Some stayed for long, in-depth conversations about their family histories and roadblocks. Visitors to the SGS booth also learned about our library and upcoming events including the Spring Seminar, “Next Steps for Your DNA Results” with Diahan Southard on May 18th and 19th. Jean Roth’s lectures on Saturday and Sunday, “Introduction to Irish Genealogy”, were well attended.  A big thank you to our Irish Festival volunteers: Jean Roth, Jim Ryan, Donna Judd, Vern Judd, Ida McCormick, Jack Donahue, George Kulstad, Annette Dwyer and Karen Portzer. 

THE SPRING RAFFLE IS RAMPING UP! We are now accepting donations of goods or services for the Spring Workshop raffle (May 18). In the past, we have gratefully received items such as DNA kits, genealogy books, jewelry, ballet tickets, quilts, and genealogy tools. Use your imagination. Proceeds from the raffle support the SGS library, and donations are tax deductible.  Donated items can be sent or brought to the SGS library. Please also send an email message to volunteers@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org telling us of your donation prior to mailing or delivering the item so we will be on the alert for its delivery.
MEMBER MILESTONE
Karin Borgersen, member and friend of SGS, recently started a new position as the program manager for the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program at University of Washington. She’s excited to be working with a great team to launch a program that she feels is going to be really fantastic. A professional genealogist, Karin says she still will be taking clients at her business, Borgersen Research, albeit on a reduced schedule.

SAVE THE DATE
 

Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, 
“Breaking Down Brick Walls” with Mary Kathryn Kozy,
LDS Factoria Church Building,
4200 124th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98006
Monday, April 8, 2019  

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Come early to network with other attendees.
Presentation starts promptly at 7:15 p.m. Free WIFI, admission, and
refreshmentsS

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. 

APRIL

Family Tree Interest Group,10:15 am – 12:15 pm,

 Saturday, April 6,  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, April 7, 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, April 13, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, Second Saturday Speakers Series – “Using the Collections of NARA Seattle” with Trish Hackett Nicola

Sunday, April 14, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, Scandinavian Special Interest Group,  with Karen Knudson


Jefferson County Genealogical Society Meeting

by Charles Hansen

JEFFERSON COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (JCGS)

FOR RELEASE: April, 2019

WRITING THEIR STORIES WHEN THEY LEFT NO STORY

Some ancestors left a scant amount of information about their life. How can you take that meager data and write about it so it is interesting? Mary Roddy, a professional genealogist, will share her ideas for writing a story so your family will enjoy reading about that ancestor.

Jefferson County Genealogical Society welcomes back Mary Roddy who earned a certificate from the Genealogy and Family History program at the University of Washington. She is an active member of Seattle Genealogical Society, a contributor to “YourGenealogyToday” and “Internet Genealogy” magazines and a webinar presenter with Legacy Family Tree Webinars. She speaks frequently in the Seattle area.

Meeting is free and open to the public.

More information: www.wajcgs.org ; phone 360-385-9495

Saturday, April 20th, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Tri-Area Community Center

10 West Valley Rd.

Chimacum, Washington

Contact for this release: Judy Tough 360-385-3065 or tough@olympus.net

Friday Serendipity

by Charles Hansen

I’m a collector of thoughts as expressed in words. I enjoy finding images to depict these appealing words. Example:

Think of doing genealogy as weaving the story of your family’s life extending back generations. Each life is a colorful addition to the whole.

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday E-News

by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition March 28, 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
Open House Breaks Records!
Only three days left! Friday, March 29th – Sunday, Mar. 31st
Wow! Just wow! We’re blown away by how many people are coming to the annual GFO Open House this week! Irish Day kicked things off last weekend with our classroom jammed with enthusiastic genealogists. We thought attendance might drop during the week, but we were wrong! By the half way point more people had joined us than in all 9 days last year. By the time this email goes out, we still have 3 more days of classes left. Friday, March 29 will include classes on Citing Sources, Mexican Ancestry, & Ohio River Area Research. Closing weekend, March 30 & 31 features DNA Days. Please come down! All of the classes are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Class List with Times & Details
Ingredients for a successful Open House: ▪ Great Speakers ▪ Free Access to Library ▪ Drool-inducing treats! Meet our Coffee Queen! Judith Leppert comes every morning to our Open House this week to make fresh coffee and share her latest home-baked treats! Come see what she brings during the rest of this week through Sunday, March 31. Thank you, Judith!
Another Brick Wall Comes Tumbling Down! United States and Irish Record Research…
Military documents reported Patrick Powers as a native of Ireland who came to the US and then became a US citizen in 1892 by virtue of his US military service. His descendants knew nothing of his Irish roots or his family connections as his early death resulted in almost no verbal history for him. April’s Genealogy Problem Solvers presentation will demonstrate the use of a wide range of records in both the US and Ireland, including detailed examination of Catholic Parish records, Valuation Renewal Books, and Civil records. Utilizing these records, we will pinpoint Patrick’s birthplace, and identify some of his ancestors as well as additional kin. We will focus on how detailed examination of many records, the use of spreadsheets, a timeline, and even a distant DNA connection can contribute to finding the story of an elusive ancestor. Join us Saturday, April 20th, at 9:30 a.m. to learn how this technique can help you in organizing your research. For more information contact Katie Daly at GPS@gfo.org.
GFO’s in the Oregonian…
Did you see the marvelous story about the GFO in the Oregonian? Tom Hallman, Oregonian’s Pulitzer winning feature writer, wrote about us on Sunday, March 24. Many people coming to the Open House say they learned about the GFO for the first time from this story. You can read it online here.
GFO Hall of Fame Nominations Needed by May 1st
The Hall of Fame Award is our way of honoring GFO members who have performed outstanding service to the Forum. The award is limited to one person per year, except in the case where a pair of members has worked together or the Board waives the limitation. A nomination may be made by any Forum member and the recipient will be selected from the panel of nominations by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The recipient must have a well-documented history of… * Service * Leadership * Accomplishment …in more than one facet of the Forum over a significant period of time. Please include examples of how this nominee fulfilled all three categories. Any current GFO Member may nominate a member for the Hall of Fame. Please send nominations to secretary@gfo.org before May 1st.
German Genealogy Conference is Around the Corner
Register Now!
Beginning on Saturday, June 15, 2019, Sacramento will host the second international conference of the International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP). More than 700 people are expected to attend the conference to focus on the history and genealogy of those with German ancestry, wherever they live in the world. Regular pricing ends April 15th. Don’t forget to sign up soon!
We Regret the Error… We apologize for a typo in the Financial Report in our most recent Forum Insider. The GFO posted a gain in February of $5,388.24, not a loss.
This week at GFO …


FRIDAY, March 29th
OPEN HOUSE – Citing Sources, Mexican Ancestry, & Ohio River Area Research 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
See the full detailed class list here.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, March 30th & 31st
OPEN HOUSE – DNA Days! 9 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
See the full detailed class list here.
Two sessions with guest speaker Barbara Rae-Venter are sold out: Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
All others are open on walk-in basis until the room is full.
Please also be sure to check our Open House website.
MONDAY, April 1st
Free First Monday! 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Please note! We’re open late (until 8 p.m.) for this month’s Free First Monday. Stop by after work!
Come visit our research library each first Monday of every month and splurge on all GFO’s wonderful resources for FREE. Explore our online databases like Fold3, Ancestry World Library Edition, Newspapers.com, and many more. Our analog and microfilm collections total over 50,000 items. Don’t miss out!
WEDNESDAY, April 3rd
Library Open Late Until 8 p.m.
Learn & Chat 10 a.m. – noon
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 Jeanne Quan.
DNA Q&A 1 – 3 p.m.
Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more involved questions. Questions? Email the facilitators dna_qa@gfo.org.

Friday Serendipity

by Charles Hansen

Here in Spokane, our wonderful newspaper, The Spokesman Review, revived Dorothy Dean and her recipes from the decades ago. Some look yummy, some look weird and none would qualify as fast food. Some I might try; some I never would.

Take this one: Curried Tongue.

1 #3 pound beef tongue; 6 cups water; 2 1/2 tsp salt; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 cup celery, chopped; 2-4 tsp curry powder; 3 TB flour; 1/3 cup water. Wipe the beef tongue with a damp cloth and place in cooker covered with the water. Add the salt and cook on high heat until steaming and then reduce heat to low and cook for 2 hours. Remove the tongue, skin the tongue and replace in the liquid with vegetables and curry powder. Make a gravy from broth, flour and water.

Do let me know if you’re brave enough (or desperate enough?) to try this.

Wednesday Nostalgia

by Charles Hansen

My great-grandmother had her last daughter, Clara, when she was 46 and for 1886 that was old. So I wondered who was the oldest woman to give birth?

Maria del Carmen Bousada de LaraMaria del Carmen Bousada de Lara is the oldest verified mother; she was aged 67 years 3 days when she gave birth to twins; she was 130 days older than Adriana Iliescu, who gave birth in 2005 to a baby girl. In both cases the children were conceived through IVF with donor eggs. (Thank you Google.)

A nature bit in the Sunday paper piqued my interest. “The world’s oldest known wild bird has become a mother yet again, hatching at the approximate age of 68 what is about her 40th egg. The Laysan albatross known as Wisdom was first banded in 1956 and has regularly nested to hatch her eggs on the remote Midway Atoll in the central Pacific, having returned to the same nesting site since 2006.”

Tuesday Trivia

by Charles Hansen

Did an ancestor graduate from a Normal School? With a teaching degree or certificate?

Smithsonian Magazine, J/F 2019, provided this explanation: “Thank France; the phrase is derived from “ecole normale” which was used for institutions designed to instill standards of pedagogy and curriculum in teachers-to-be. America’s first state-sponsored normal school opened in Massachusetts in 1839. By the 1930’s most normal schools were calling themselves “teachers colleges.’

Near Spokane, Eastern Washington University began as Cheney Normal School. My mother-in-law graduated from Cheney Normal School in 1930 and at age 17 was sent out to teach English.

Cheryl Elder of Cheney was searching for more information on her great-aunt who attend this school in 1919. Charles V. Mutschler, PhD at EWU, answered her. (He is recently deceased.) His 2015 reply to her gives a good picture of what the curriculum was like:

“I have search the records we have, and only found one entry for Alice Elder of Garfield, Washington attending during the summer session of 1919.  The entry is on page 89 of the 1920-1921 catalog, in the list of students for the Summer, 1919 term.  The catalog carried a list of students for the previous year (occasionally previous two years) and a list of graduates, and the type of certificate they had received.  I checked the catalogs for 1916/17 through 1927/28 and only found the one entry.  The course of study at the normal schools in 1918 was a two-year curriculum leading to a teaching certificate which allowed the person to teach in what were called “the common schools,” meaning grades 1-8.  A teacher could continue her education and upgrade her certificate to what was called a Life Certificate by completing additional course work.  Many teachers did this, and often these women were the majority of the students enrolled in the summer term.  From 1923 through 1971 there was a yearbook, published each spring, called Kinnikinick.  The Kinnikinicks are nearly all on line at our digital commons site, but I have not attempted to search those, as they are readily available to you.  Go to:  dc/ewu.edu/yearbooks  and you should be able to reach them.

Now you know more than before about your ancestor’s attendance at a Normal School.

Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

Good last-Monday-of-March morning! The snow is mostly gone, the bluebirds are back and I-90 is open for east and west travel. The “mystery” today is how come you dear genealogists reading this post aren’t coming to Spokane to enjoy a day with Sunny Jane Morton.

Sunny is a 100% top notch, gold plated BigWig in the genealogy world today. Click to some of her YouTube videos and you’ll be taught and delighted. She is coming to Spokane on Saturday, April 6th, for an all-day seminar. Click to www.ewgsi.org for more information and to register. She’s offering us four cracker-jack presentations that day.

Tiz an easy 5-hour drive coming west on I-90 and Spokane has plenty of motels available. Come over Friday morning and spend the afternoon in the genealogy section of our downtown Spokane Public Library.

Perhaps what you learn from Sunny Morton will help to solve a mystery in your genealogy. You think?