Seattle Genealogical Society News

SGS BOARD 2018-2019
The results of the SGS 2018 election for board of directors are: ​

  • President: Jill Morelli
  • Vice President: vacant
  • Treasurer: Karen Knudson
  • Secretary: Amandalei Bennett
  • Education: Janice Lovelace
  • Library: Sue Jensen
  • Publications: Julia Marconi
  • Technology: David Rimmer
  • Membership: Christine Schomaker
  • Volunteers: Heidi Mair
  • Operations: Rob Sexton
  • Past President: Marilyn Rose​

Electronic voting was employed for the first time. It was quick, easy, saved volunteer time, and was appreciated by all. Some folks thought that we should have included biographies of the candidates and we will do that in future elections. Use of electronic voting for this election was a “beta test” and was approved by the Board and reported to the membership at the last meeting. It will now be necessary to modify the Bylaws to reflect the adoption of technology in a number of sections of the Bylaws. These changes will be presented at the October Membership Meeting. Ballots were mailed to 19 individuals for whom we did not have email addresses; none of those mailed ballots were voted and returned.

Rob Sexton became Director of Operations by board acclimation when Lynn De Merritt resigned during the election cycle.

Nancy Hevley is the new Library Trustee for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. An ardent worker on the Library Committee each Thursday, Nancy will be a great addition. She’ll join two other Trustees, John Eschelman and Dona Bubelis, who are presently serving their three-year terms.

SGS applied for and received a grant from 4Culture to conduct a Japanese Genealogy Seminar in winter 2019. The event will be held the first weekend in February with guest speaker Linda Harms Okazaki of the Seattle Public Library. If you are interested in helping out with this event contact Heidi Mair at : volunteers@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org 

 

ArchiveFinder – FOLLOW-UP FROM JILL MORELLI 

 

At the Sunday, May 20, special seminar session on ArchiveGrid, Josh (D. Joshua Taylor) covered ArchiveFinder. He said ArchiveFinder was available only at academic libraries and only at some, not all.  Jill said she would inquire to see if it was available at UW. In a check with Lisa Oberg, Associate Director of Special Collections at UW, ArchiveFinder is not available at the University of Washington library.

We hope you were able to make the seminar. Everyone we spoke with thought Josh was well organized,  knowledgeable, an excellent speaker and communicator. The frequent Q&A sessions he worked into the program were very robust.

Our thanks to Josh for another successful SGS seminar. Also our thanks to all who attended and to all the volunteers that make these seminars possible.

 

SCANDINAVIAN SIG – SPECIAL TIME – SPECIAL GUEST
On Sunday, June 10, the meeting of our Scandinavian SIG will be held from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm instead of in the usual afternoon time slot. Leading the meeting will be Kathi McGinnes and the special guest will be Liv Christensen, Norwegian genealogical researcher.  Liv will Skype in and answer some previously submitted questions. This is your chance to come learn from a renowned expert in researching Norwegian genealogy.

 

IT’S SPRING, A TIME OF RENEWAL 

The SGS membership year runs from June 1 to May 31 so it’s nearing that time to renew your membership. Or are you joining SGS for the first time?

You can renew online and pay your dues with a credit/debit card here:

Online SGS membership form

Or print out a copy of our membership form and mail it to SGS with a check. Here’s a link to the printable form:

Printable SGS Membership Form

Not a SGS member yet? Annual dues are $40.00 individual, $50.00 dual (two individuals at the same mailing address). As soon as you join, you’ll be eligible for free or discounted rates for our seminars, online and offline classes, and access to SGS databases. You’ll receive our bi-annual online publication “Journal of the Seattle Genealogical Society”. You’ll learn along with other members in our special interest groups and Second Saturday programs. You’ll have opportunities to volunteer, helping others as an indexer, librarian, receptionist, instructor, or family history researcher.

 

Most of all, you’ll be supporting a 95-year-young, all-volunteer organization, dedicated to maintaining a public research library, preserving records, and providing educational opportunities for all in our community. So click that link up above and join SGS today!

SAVE THE DATE

​”When It Takes a Village: Applying Cluster Research Techniques”,
presented by Emily H. Garber,
Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State,
4200 124th Ave SE,
Bellevue, WA
Monday, June 11, 2018

This presentation by Emily Garber will outline a program for solving genealogical research problems via cluster and collateral research techniques and you are invited. Free admission and refreshments. The meeting will be  in the LDS Factoria Building at 4200 124th Ave SE, Bellevue. Doors open at 6:30pm and the presentation starts promptly at 7:15pm.

For more info on JGSWS, this presentation, or directions, visit the JGSWS website at :

http://www.jgsws.org

2018 Northwest Genealogy Conference,
Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society,
Byrnes Performing Arts Center,
18821 Crown Ridge Blvd,
Arlington, WA
August 15 – 18, 2018  

Keynote speakers will be Beth Foulk, CeCe Moore, Peggy Lauritzen, and Amie Bowser Tennant.

Days 2-4 will be packed full of lectures and activities, such as post a surname on the “Cousin Board”; have fun connecting with other attendees you may be related to. On Friday, participate in the optional  “Dress As Your Ancestor”  day to honor your heritage.

As usual, the first day of this four day conference is designed for beginners and is free (registration required).   .

For more details and to register, visit their website:
https://stillygen.org/cpage.php?pt=50

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 be closed June 17, July 3, and July 4

JUNE

Saturday, June 2, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Canadian SIG, Come join David Robert, group leader, for help researching your Canadian ancestors.

Saturday, June 2, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Family Tree Interest Group, Lou Daly, leader of this special interest group exploring all the features of the tool Family Tree on FamilySearch.org

Saturday, June 9, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Family Tree Maker (FTM) Users Group,  Jess Ramey will lead this last meeting before the group breaks for the summer. Jess and Reiley Kidd will co- lead when the group resumes their meetings in the fall.

Sunday, June 10, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Scandinavian SIG, with Kathi McGinnes and Liv Christensen via Skype.  Liv will answer previously submitted questions.  Come learn from this expert in Norwegian genealogy. Please note the time change for this meeting.

Saturday, June 16, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean A Roth
Saturday, June 16, 01:00pm – 3:00pm, German SIG, with Jean A Roth

Sunday, June 17, closed for Father’s Day

Saturday, June 23, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm,  SGS General Membership Meeting, speaker TBD
Saturday, June 30, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm,  DNA SIG,  this group meets at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE, Seattle. Co-chaired by Cary Bright and Herb McDaniel. For more information contact SGSDNASIG@gmail

JULY

Sunday, July 1, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, Led by Cary Bright with first hour on a specific topic, and the second hour open for sharing DNA issues with focus on GenomeMate Pro.

Saturday, July 7, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Canadian SIG, Come join David Robert, group leader, for help researching your Canadian ancestors.

Saturday, July 7, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Family Tree Interest Group, Lou Daly, leader of this special interest group exploring all the features of the tool Family Tree on FamilySearch.org

Sunday, July 8, 1:30pm – 3:30pm, Scandinavian SIG, with Karin Knudson

Saturday, July 21, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean A Roth
Saturday, July 21, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, German SIG, with Jean A Roth

 

Jewish Genealogical Society Free June Meeting

We would very much like to invite you  to our upcoming free genealogy event on Monday evening, 6/11/18.  We would appreciate it if you could help us publicize it by printing out a copy of the attached flyer and have it posted on a bulletin board or calendar, and/or share it on your website for upcoming events.

 

Our speaker will be Emily H. Garber, Genealogical Lecturer, Blogger, and Author and her topic will be:  “When It Takes A Village: Applying Cluster Research Techniques.”

The information on our program and our speaker’s bio are:

 

ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

Sometimes tracking one’s immigrant ancestors tests all one’s research acumen. Identifying a subject ancestor, his/her origins, and parentage; tracking that subject through time; and constructing biographies to place that person in his/her social context is best approached by broadening one’s research to include other family members, associates and neighbors. This presentation by Emily Garber will outline a program for solving genealogical research problems via cluster and collateral research techniques. Topics will include: appropriate application, research planning, commonly used resources and documents, and case studies successfully tracking individuals from Europe to the United States, overcoming name and residential changes and using DNA evidence.

The main case study to be used in this evening’s program tracks a previously unknown woman who arrived at Ellis Island with Emily’s great grandfather.  Emily uses her research skills to identify this unknown woman’s kinship relationship to their family and to find out if there ever was a relationship.

 

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER

An archaeologist by training (B.A. and M.A.), Emily H. Garber has been researching her Jewish ancestry since 2007 and holds a certificate from Boston University’s Genealogical Research program. She specializes in Jewish genealogical research and has worked with records for both German-Jewish and Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Her client work has included research into narrowly defined genealogical problems as well as development and writing of broadly based family history narratives. In June 2013, she toured family shtetlach in Ukraine and explored archives in Lviv, Khmelnitsky and Zhitomyr. She is chair of the Phoenix (Arizona) Jewish Genealogical Group, board member of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, owner of Extra Yad Genealogical Services, and she blogs at http://www.extrayad.blogspot.com. Emily has served for several years as one of the moderators of the JewishGen Discussion Group and is communications director of the Ukraine Special Interest Group.

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing you, your friends and family!

Karen vanHaagen Campbell

Secretary & Publicity, Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State

www.jgsws.org

Flyer: flyer for 6-11-18 Emily Garber – pdf

Whatcom Genealogical Society June Meeting

Whatcom Genealogical Society Meeting Monday, June 13, 2 pm, at the Bellingham Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way, Bellingham, WA.  Program will be “Becoming America:   A Study of Immigration” with Janice Lovelace. What conditions existed for your ancestors to leave their home countries and make a journey to a new place? What conditions existed to encourage settlement in the Americas, especially the United States?  Visitors Welcome!  Contact:  360-733-8300.

 

Thank you!

 

Sharon Neem

WGS Publicity Chair

Unlock the Past Pre-Cruise Program September 6th

2018 cruise: Alaska – program

cruise home | program | presenters | itinerary | ship | pricing and booking | media | sponsors | FAQ | pre-cruise conference


Program features

  • 4 presentations in two (and occasionally 3) streams
  • Research Help Zone sessions – opportunity for one-on-one or small group help from experts
  • an optional extra ‘land conference’ the day before the cruise (no overlap with cruise topics)
    Unlock the Past in Seattle at the Seattle Public Library with

    • Blaine Bettinger (US – DNA expert)
    • Dr. Maurice Gleeson (UK – DNA and Irish expert)
    • Cyndi Ingle (Cyndi’s List)
    • Wayne Shepheard (author of Surviving Mother Nature’s tests)
    • download PDF brochure
    • NOW BOOKING –  see web site

Preliminary program

Click here to download a provisional program – updated to 24 May 2018
This is fairly complete at this stage, but a few topics need to be finalised and the timing of some talks may change.

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society June Meeting

 

 

Memoir Writing

Saturday, June 2
Memoir Writing  (EWGS Meetings)
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Spokane Public Library Auditorium, Downtown Spokane
Presenter – Donna Lee Anderson.
SHOULD YOU WRITE YOUR MEMOIRS? The answer is YES! Donna Lee Anderson will discuss ways to organize your stories & keep them organized, what to write, how to write it, what to include in your stories & how important it is to include names, dates, ages, and even conversations.  She will also help you choose topics to write about.
 Donna Lee Anderson has been writing for many years. She writes children’s books, mysteries and romantic novels, and a how-to book for writer’s called Necessary Words for Writers which explains those words used in the publishing world that the new author may not know or understand.
Donna writes a weekly column for Sound Publishing called BOOK ENDS about authors, books, literary happenings around the area, and teaches writing. Some of her classes are: “Should you write your memoirs? The answer is yes!” and “You have the idea, now what?” Both are writer’s classes on how to get organized, getting those first words on paper, and then information on structure, lengths for specific genre’s, character development, etc.
She has published four books and is working on a mystery that she hopes will be out this year.
Cookies & Social Time: 12:30 PM
Meeting starts at 1:00 PM

Wednesday Nostalgia

Anybody remember having curtain tie-backs like this? Pretty fancy, eh?

I wanted to know more so I asked Grandma Google. She sent me to this website:  http://www.patternglass.com/Form/Tieback/Tiebacks.htm

We might use curtain tie-backs today but I’d bet they’re not like these!

 

Tuesday Trivia

Do you by any chance remember the address of where you lived as a child? Say in the first, second or third grade? I do:  311 Great Jones Street, Fairfield, California. My Dad was stationed at Travis AFB there. I Googled that address and wow! it’s still there and looking good!

Back where the garage is, Dad build a playhouse for us and even added house numbers: 312 Great Jones Street.

Why don’t you try asking Google to see if you can view a photo of your old home??? Fun exercise.

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