Wednesday Nostalgia

by Charles Hansen

As you probably know by now, I’m fascinated by names. Especially names from long ago. They cause me pause (why did the parents chose that particular name?) and cause me to laugh. (Sorry, ancestors.)

Here are some I’ve gleaned recently:

Zymetta Phillips b.ca. 1875, m. Joan Abston

Onesephorus Masch, had dau, Hannah, b, 1757, Boston

Aylett Waller, m. Miss Armstead

Lorcufo Phillips

Maphibosheth Marsh, original settler of NJ

Truman Derastus Phillips, b. 1731, PA

Zalmuna Phillips, 1804-1883, m. Eunice Cobb

Lerias Phillips, m. 1816 Elizabeth Smith

Please use the comment box below to share some of the more unusual names from your pedigree. 

Tuesday Trivia

by Charles Hansen

Some twisted crazy quotes highlighting a necessity of modern life:

“If at first you don’t succeed, use duct tape.”

” All we have to fear is no duct tape.”  (F.D.R.

“Duct tape in time saves dimes.”  (B. Franklin)

“The duct tape is mightier than the wood glue.” (Shakespeare)

“Duct tape it now or pay the repair guy later.”

“All we need is duct tape. Duct tape is all we need.” (Lennon/McCartney0

And my most favorite:

“This is the tape that mends men’s soles.”  (Thomas Payne)

 

(From that little Duct Tape book.)

Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

Names. Names are all-important in doing genealogy. Where did our ancestors get their names……… or our names?  Surnames just came with birth in most cases but many times were changed somewhere along the way to adulthood and for a hundred reasons.

What about first names? Our ancestors didn’t have the “search for baby names” on the Internet or even baby-names books (pre-dating the Internet, right?). They had the Bible. That’s why so many of our ancestors have biblical names.

My lineage includes a distant uncle named Deloss Carr, 1876-1954, born and died in the midwest. Always thought that was an odd name and was fairly certain it was not a Bible name. Then, WOW. Doing some SCRIBE indexing, I came upon a Deloss Clement, born in 1907, enumerated in the Yakima county school census.

So I asked Grandma Google for the meaning or origin of that name and by golly, I stumped her. She had no clue except to state that it was a male name.

Anybody else have a Deloss in their family??? Any clue as to its origin?

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society December Meeting

by Charles Hansen

As the holidays approach, the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society is happy to welcome to our December meeting

CHARLES GOURDE, representing the

CHILDREN’S JUSTICE & ADVOCACY CENTER OF COWLITZ COUNTY

whose mission is to provide abused children with a coordinated community approach to investigation, prosecution, treatment, and advocacy that promotes their safety, healing and well-being.

Anyone wishing to bring donations to the meeting should use the following guidelines:

Small value gasoline gift cards, children’s snacks, art supplies, copy paper, stuffed animals and bottled water.

LOWER COLUMBIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~walcolgs/

SOMERSET RETIREMENT APARTMENTS

2025 TIBBETTS DRIVE, LONGVIEW

DINING ROOM 7:00 PM

DECEMBER 13, 2018

Visitors are welcome and encouraged to attend.

WSGS Needs YOUR Help…… Big Time

by Charles Hansen

In the past, WSGS has asked for YOUR help and you have responded most eagerly and graciously and we thank you. Now we have another big need and ask for your help.

WSGS is going to partner with a Civil War veterans buried in WA website:  www.civilwarvetswastate.com.  Bruce Smith and Karyn Zielasko Weingarden have invested hours of their time and emptied their wallets to create, support and maintain this wonderful website all by themselves. Now the time has come and they are asking for help.

The website needs a website manager. This is a request from both Bruce and Karyn. They have brought it this far but their website-creator-tech-person is stepping down and they need help….our help.

If you have the skills to manage this one website, which is up and running most awesomely, won’t you please raise your hand and help us??

Please let me know, Donna Potter Phillips,  Donna243@gmail.com, and I will be intermediary with Bruce and Karyn. They will be so very grateful and so will we, the WSGS Board.

 

 

Friday Serendipity

by Charles Hansen

Read a cute thing in our local paper. It had to do with repairing a huge clock face on one of our downtown buildings which “had always been there.” Point of the story is that this clock wasn’t installed until the late 1980s so it really hasn’t been there always. But in old-timers’ memories of Spokane it has! And that’s where the editorial writer explained the concept of “revisionist nostalgia.” This is why, he wrote, “that our parents or grandparents explain in vivid detail walking to school everyday, uphill both ways, in the snow.” My father always said that Mother was his babysitter and he thought she was taking him to get a fishing license and poof! they were married.  That’s revisionist nostalgia big time. Surely you have stories like that??

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen
GFO Logo Halo 2 Large

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Thursday Evening

E-News Edition

November 8, 2018

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 call our library at 503-963-1932.

Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR.
Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider
***

Cyndi Ingle Rocks, Attracts Record GFO Audience!
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Cyndi Ingle 1

Wow! That’s the easiest way to say it. We can’t thank you enough for making the GFO Fall Seminar a record-setter.

More than 200 people came on Saturday and more than 100 on Sunday to hear Cyndi Ingle, the creator of the comprehensive genealogy website, Cyndi’s List.

We also sold a record number of raffle tickets, a great way to help us pay our rising bills. Special thanks to these sponsors for donating valuable prizes: Southern California Genealogical Society, Find my past, Fold3, Family Tree DNA, History Geo, and Newspapers.com.

And our biggest thanks go to Cyndi herself. If you made it to the seminar you know how engaging, informative, entertaining, and funny she can be.
***

GFO Becomes FamilySearch Affiliate Library
FamilySearch Logo Affiliate

We’ve got great news! The GFO is now an official FamilySearch Affiliate Library. This grants you access to many FamilySearch records not available when you search their site from home. FamilySearch has billions of records online and adds another 300 million free genealogical records and images online every year.

Access to FamilySearch computers at the GFO will be free to anyone.

GFO membership or payment of day-use fees will be required to use the other resources in our library.
***

Pulitzer Prize Winner Brings Writing Tips To GFO
GenTalk-Hallman-11-17-18

The job of the journalist and that of the genealogist are surprisingly similar: we both research the facts and the context of people to tell their stories.

Genealogists tend to focus more on the research, but journalists must do both.

Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Hallman, Jr., of The Oregonian knows a thing or two about journalism, and he is coming to the GFO to share his insights with us.

Join us for our next GenTalk at the GFO Saturday, November 17 at 2 p.m.

This talk is free and open to the public.
***

African American Ancestry Group Help Session
African American SIG

The next meeting of the African American Special Interest Group (SIG) is scheduled for Saturday, November 24, from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Our meetings are regularly held on the fourth Saturday of the month. We recently realized that for November this is the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.

Because we figure many people will be spending time with family instead of other family historians, rather than have a speaker and program, we will be holding an open-ended Help Session for this month’s meeting.

If you’re stuck in your research, want some advice, or just want to share your family history stories with fellow researchers, come on by! SIG coordinator Janice Sellers will be there for the entire time and will be happy to talk with you.

Questions? Comments? Send Janice a note at African_American@gfo.org.
***

History In The News!
Betsy Ross sewing

Ever wondered what it would be like to have New York’s State Archives at your finger tips?

Well, wonder no more! The National Park Service and the Institute of Museum and Library Services granted $125,000 last month to the New York State Archives and the Archives Partnership Trust to allow them to digitize and post historical documents from the Revolutionary War era to the State Archives’ website.

The archivists began their work on November 1st, so keep an eye out for updates as they make progress on this amazing accessibility project.

Access to our history is always a revolution in and of itself!
***

This week at GFO …
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FRIDAY, November 9th

Mexican Ancestry Group 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Finding your Hispanic ancestors from Mexico, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California! 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, November 10th

Great Lakes Region 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Duane Funk will talk about the War of 1812, and in particular its effects on the Great Lakes region and our research there. Also, we will check in with our database. After that we will have time for sharing research and brainstorming some possible solutions to your genealogy questions.

Interest in the Great Lakes Region can be broad and diverse, as some ancestors settled and remained there for generations, while others spent a short time there before moving on. The group’s interests include migration, travel, trade, historical events, and research techniques specific to the area. For more information contact Lynn Rossing at GreatLakes@gfo.org.

Writers’ Forum 1 – 3 p.m.

Purpose: 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 or 503-916-9410.

Book we are using: Roy Peter Clark’s Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer published by Little, Brown and Company in 2006. Each month we cover a tool. To see what tool we are covering at a particular meeting, please visit our web page here.

SUNDAY, November 11th

Library Work 9:00 a.m. – noon

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.

Heritage Quest Research Library Developing Roadmap to Success

by Roxanne Lowe

The venerable Heritage Quest Research Library is undergoing a revitalization. Long known for packing more than 15,000 foreign and state books, family histories and special subject titles; microfiche; historic maps; computers; classes and a bookstore into a small space in Sumner, Washington, the Board of Trustees of the all-volunteer-run institution is looking to the future with fresh eyes. The library, begun in 1985 by Leland Meitzler with his personal collection, has changed and grown over the years. With today’s changing needs and resources, however, the Board of Trustees and Management Team felt it was time to develop a roadmap for the future.

HQRL Board Chair Laura Livingston, Director Jo-Anne Huber and Vice Chair Doug Sawyer

In June and July 2018, the Board administered a survey to its members asking a wide range of questions related to who uses the library, how information is conveyed, what services are used and the volunteer experience. An astonishing 30 percent of its members responded to the survey. Using the insightful information gleaned from the survey, as well as conversations with the Management Team, the Board began to work on a long-term strategic plan. Once the plan is drafted, it will be posted on the HQRL website for review and comment. A revised plan is scheduled for unveiling at the HQRL annual meeting in January.

One thing appears clear about the HQRL effort: the passion and dedication to make HQRL a  premier genealogy resource for its members, patrons and guests of the library is resolute. The Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Laura Livingston, has stepped up their role to include more management of day-to-day operations. Working closely with HQRL Director Jo-Anne Huber and the Management Team, the Board is excited about ensuring the future stability and visibility of the library.

The research library, located at 1007 Main Street in Sumner, is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed on Sunday. If you’re interested in becoming a member of the HQRL, single memberships are $40 per year; $45 per year for a family.

Tri-City Genealogical Society December Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Our December 12th meeting will be at the Benton County PUD Auditorium in Kennewick on the corner of Hwy #395 and 10th Street
The program for this year will be the Show & Tell event and we will not have a Beginning Genealogy Class that evening. This activity starts at 7:00 p.m., but for those of you who are setting up displays, please come as early as 6:15 p.m.
Show Off Your Heritage
 
Members and guests are asked to bring items about your family heritage/history as well as what you interests you have.
1. Photographs
2. Documents
3. Family heirlooms, antiques
4. Hobbies, collections or recreation interests
Your legacy will one day be handed down to your children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren and they will want to know what hobbies and collections you had as a child/teenager or as an adult.
You can display your family photographs and documents on a poster or a tri-fold or on the table.
This will be a fun event for everyone to have a glimpse of your family history as well as the antiques/heirlooms, hobbies and collections that you either inherited or have or previously engaged in.
Refreshments:
Please bring homemade or store bought cookies, candies, fudge, muffins, quick breads (banana, zucchini, apple, pumpkin), cake, etc.  Beverages, plates, napkins and utensils will be provided.
Thank you for your continued interest in TCGS
Art

Wednesday Nostalgia

by Charles Hansen

Know what this is? It’s Solanum tuberosum…… does that help?? Does this?

Washington is known for its apples but did you realize that potatoes in Washington have a much longer history. Back in 1792, Salvador Fidalgo, a Spanish marine explorer, supervised the planting of the first garden in Washington (by white folks) at Neah Bay. He used potato starts brought from San Blas, Mexico. The crop yielded enough to feed his crew.  Then in 1795, Englishmen planted potatoes near present-day Ilwaco. In 1825, Fort Astoria had a “promising crop” of potatoes. Didn’t take long for farmer-settlers to realize that Washington’s fertile soil would yield bounteous potato crops; “many a farmer reported harvesting potatoes that weighed eight to ten pounds and tasted far better than cake or ice cream.”

“Read all about” this subject in the Fall 1996 issue of Columbia,  a magazine of northwest history. I’m gleaning from an article by Jacqueline Williams.