How many types of cemeteries are there, would you guess?
Aboveground Cemeteries – Deep South
Skagit Valley Genealogical Society The Role of Convents and Monasteries in the 15th-19th Centuries
Join Skagit Valley Genealogical Society Saturday, October 11, 2025, 1pm at the Burlington Public Library for “The Role of Convents and Monasteries in the 15th-19th Centuries and How They Affected Our Ancestors”with Milan Pohontsch, President, Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies. Learn about the social and economic impacts of monasteries and how the lives of those that lived and worked on monastic estates differed from peasants under noble rule. Can’t make it to the Burlington Library, request a zoom link by emailing info@skagitvalleygenealogy.org. Thank you,
Let’s Talk About: EWGS Fall Workshop
I am 100% positive that I-90 runs both east and west. 🙂
Seattle to Spokane – 4 1/2 hours, 270 miles
Yakima to Spokane – 3 hours, 200 miles
Kennewick to Spokane – 2 hours, 140 miles
Coeur d’Alene to Spokane – 38 minutes
And we here in Spokane have lots of motels!! Or ask a friend for a B&B (bunk and bathroom)!!
Puget Sound Genealogical Society Alienation of Affection: Divorce in the US
Our monthly PSGS Program this month will be “Alienation of Affection: Divorce in the US” with Christine Cohen. It will be on Wednesday, Sep. 24 at 1pm. Social time starts at 12:30pm. The program will be hybrid with in person at the Sylvan Way Library and on Zoom. The Zoom link will be posted the day before on our website (psgsociety.org) and our Facebook page.
Divorce is not just a 20th Century phenomenon. At first, granted by
the State Legislature and then by the Courts, these are public
records. The case files can include marriage date and place, names
and ages of children, current and former residences, and affidavits
by the spouses about their marriage and reason for divorce. Clues
are in the Census, City Directories, Military Pensions, County
Histories, County Courthouses & especially in Newspapers. This
could be the reason for a “lost spouse”.
Clallam County Genealogical Society The Joy of Genealogy Travel
The Joy of Genealogy Travel will be the subject of a presentation by Sandra Ristow of the Clallam County Genealogical Society Saturday, September 27th at 10:00 AM.
Sandra has studied her family genealogy for nearly 20 years, and has traveled through out the United States and parts of Germany and Poland to see their origins. Most of her ancestors were German immigrants. Her English ancestors, who arrived in 1660, and their participation in the American Revolution qualified her to become a member of the local Michael Trebert Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is a lecturer and teacher, sharing her expertise in German Genealogy.
Her lecture will relate some exciting discoveries of both German and Polish ancestors that her travels have produced. She has been to Germany five times, and to Pomerania, Poland where she has found living relatives.
The program will be presented, live, at the CCGS Research Center located at 403 E. 8th Street in Port Angeles or via Zoom. To obtain the Zoom codes or get more information, please call the Society at 360-417-5000 or email your request at askus@clallamcogs.com Tuesday through Friday from 10 am – 4pm.
Heritage Quest Research Library Citing Your Sources: It’s Easier than You Think!
Don’t Miss Out… Sign Up Here for Sept. 18th Class! Citing Your Sources: It’s Easier Than You Think! September 18, 2025 11am to 12pm PDT (Online only via Zoom) Do you find the process of writing source citations intimidating? Citation resources published by leading genealogists tend to be lengthy and differ in their approaches. Trying to use and reconcile them can feel overwhelming. This presentation will explain the process of creating source citations that comply with genealogical standards in plain language. Learn some simple strategies for crafting clear, reliable citations for many commonly-used sources. CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP  Shelley Bishop is a professional genealogical researcher, writer, and speaker with a passion for finding and preserving the stories of our ancestors. She is a frequent contributor to Family Tree Magazine, NGS Magazine, and other publications. As the owner of Buckeye Family Trees, Shelley specializes in Ohio and midwestern research. Her projects often involve work with military, court, and land records. Shelley is President of the Great Lakes Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild. Learn more about her at www.buckeyefamilytrees.com. UPCOMING CLASSES! Check them out! Beginning Your Family History, Getting Started October 16, 2025 11am to 12pm PDT Online via ZOOM or Limited In Person (8) at HQRLLEARN MORE HERE! or SIGN UP HERE!  Inspiring the Next Generation of Genealogists November 6, 2025 11am to 12pm PDT LEARN MORE HERE! Home About Us Members Gallery Newsletter Heritage Quest Research Library 2102 East Main Avenue, Suite 105 Puyallup, WA 98372 (253) 863-1806 |
Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society September DNA SIG Meeting
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society DNA Special Interest Group Meeting
Tuesday, Sept 23, Starting at 7:00 pm via Zoom
We will discuss GedMatch and their offerings.
Download: 1745378587_DNASIGMeetingInvite.pdf
Calendar reminder: TPCGS DNA Special Interest Group Meeting
Every month on the Fourth Tuesday beginning at 7:00 PM Pacific Time
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYqdeyrrz0iEtx-c_J3gNfcI8mebT1zajLo/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqqTkvGdWTuBGPRpwQB4joZ-nzmCFHj7dF0RzaKXNUTAX1H7pPN7BLQcLR
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82725316888?pwd=MDc3UEZrUVJNbmxmK2ZORmw5YzdDdz09
Meeting ID: 827 2531 6888
Passcode: 811780
One tap mobile:
+12532050468,,82725316888#,,,,*811780# US
+12532158782,,82725316888#,,,,*811780# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location:
+1 253 205 0468 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 827 2531 6888
Passcode: 811780
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kIKCyZLQy
Let’s Talk About: Awesome Websites
Few posts back I spotlighted Roxanne Low and her list of “Free Genealogy-Related Internet Sites.” Remember? Did you take time to looksee any of them?? Today I highlight some of those opportunities!
* www.abmc.gov — The American Battle Monuments Commission website features a database of nearly 218,000 American war dead from WWI and WWII who were buried in overseas cemeteries. The site also includes 94,000 more names commemorated on Tablets of the Missing.
* www.easycalculation.com — calculate how many years, months and days have elapsed between two dates.
* www.deathindexes.com — A directory of links to websites with online death indexes, listed by state and county. (Get it? A listing of links to online death indexes!!!)
* www.genealogylinks.net — Over 50,000 links to resources in the US, the UK, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. (If you’ve stuck with the “tried and true” websites, why? Why not try this?)
* https://gravelocator.com/va/gov — A VA site, updated daily, offers searches of veterans and their family members buried in most any military cemetery.
* https://glorecords.blm.gov — Use this site to search through more than 5,000,000 federal land title records (1788 to present). (Did your ancestor homestead or buy land from the federal government?)
* https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb — The Newberry Library in Chicago website is one of the best places to trace shifting county lines and the records that went with them.
* www.usgs.gov/programs/national-geospatial-program/national-map — Looking for an obscure ancestral locale? This website offers help to finding that “old” place with the “new” name.
Guidance on Sales Tax on Live Presentations
The Department of Revenue just released 20 pages of Interim Guidance for Sales tax on Live Presentations
Four Societies Awarded Supportive Grants
The WSGS Board of Directors awarded Supportive Grants to four local societies. Diane Huckabay, WSGS Education Chair, announced the awards at the Annual Meeting on August 21, 2025.
The grants were awarded to:
Clark County Genealogical Society — Develop and launch a membership initiative. CCGS has seen a 20 percent decline in membership since 2020. Additionally, the COVID 19 pandemic and relocation greatly reduced foot traffic at their research library. Despite this, their volunteers logged more than 6,100 hours in 2024, managing operations and opening the CCGS Library on about 200 days to patrons.
The Supportive Grant will help CCGS:
• Update and print a new brochure and other materials with appealing layouts and designs.
• Extend the brochure’s content across platforms, ensuring the monthly newsletter, the weekly email update, their website, Facebook, and YouTube deliver cohesive messaging.
• Host an Open House or a free beginning genealogy class to attract attention to CCGS, inviting the public to meet their dedicated volunteers and explore the Library.
Lower Columbia Genealogical Society — Provide speakers for on-line meetings. This small society usually has about 10 speakers per year for their 18 – 25 members. Because of their location (Southwest Washington), society cost-cutting and the limited number of members who have already spoken, they often need to reach out to outside speakers. With the rise in speaker fee and loss of society income, the Supportive Grant will help them obtain quality speakers with an eye to increasing membership as well as educating their members.
North Beach Genealogical Society — Purchase a copy of “The Archaeology of Minard: A case study of a late-prehistoric Northwest Coast Procurement system” by Tom E Roll. This doctoral thesis was published in 1974 and refers to archaeological work conducted at the Minard Site, located near Ocean Shores, beginning in 1968. The copy at the Ocean Shores Public Library is falling apart and is kept in the backroom. Owning this book will preserve the local history and allow NBGS to share it with the community.
Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society — Offset the cost of three 3’x6’ vinyl banners. These banners are an important communication tool for the society.
Оne banner will be used to identify their booth at community events. The eye-catching banner will draw attention to SVGS and encourage community interaction. The other two banners will mark their building’s location, which is set back from the road. The banners will make it easier for people to find the Library.
For more information about the Supportive Grants, click here.