Communication and Project Awards Closing SOON

by Roxanne Lowe

You still have a few days to sneak in your society’s nomination for the Washington State Genealogical Society’s Outstanding Communication Award and Outstanding Project Award! The deadline for both awards was April 1, 2018, but Spring Break caused a delay in my schedule, so I’m keeping the  nomination process open until Tuesday, April 10.

It’s super easy to apply for either/both of these awards:

Outstanding Communication: This award honors the society that makes the best use of any form of communication, including websites, social media, newsletters, lectures, videos, podcasts, etc. to convey valuable information and/or training to its members or the public. More information, including the nomination form for the Outstanding Communication Award, is available HERE.

Outstanding Project Award: The award is given to local genealogical society that completes an exceptional genealogical or historical project in the past year. The project may be either one-time or ongoing, a single program or a series of programs, but must have been completed by December 31, 2017. More information, including the Nomination Form, for the Outstanding Project Award is available HERE.

Questions should be directed to Roxanne Lowe, Interim Chair, WSGS Recognition Committee.

Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

First, thank you, Many Guessers, for sharing your guess as to what county I was referring to last week. Dorothy (no last name) was first and Roy Rutherford was second to correctly say Snohomish County. Congrats!

Today’s mystery question:  How many main passes are there through the Cascade range? What are their names?

Our favorite looked like this yesterday and is closed today, April 2nd. GOLLYGOSH.

Civil War Veterans Buried in Washington State

by Charles Hansen

Bruce Smith and Karyn Zielasko Weingarden are the originators of the website www.civilwarvetswastate.com which they hope and expect to become the “One-Stop-Shopping” for those researching a Civil War veteran who came to the Pacific Northwest and died and is buried in Washington state.

Did you know about this website? Ever looked at it? Suggest you do so!

Their goal with this project is to have, in one place, a complete listing of all Civil War vets resting in Washington soil along with a bit of a biography on him. These bios are gleaned from official records or submitted by researchers.

So what does this mean for you? Do you have a Civil War veteran ancestor buried here? Is he documented on Bruce and Karyn’s website? Would you like to submit your information to the website?

Directions on how to submit your info is on the website but bottom line, send an email to Bruce at smith.bruce123@comcast.net

And do stay tuned for more information and updates!

 

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –
SGS Bulletins – Past and Present

The Seattle Genealogical Society, founded in 1923, is an educational organization devoted to promoting interest in family history, preserving records, and furthering genealogical research –  not just for Seattle, but nationally and worldwide.

The SGS Bulletin, published by the Seattle Genealogical Society since 1952, provides a wealth of information for genealogists and local history researchers. The SGS Bulletin includes transcriptions of genealogical records from the Seattle area and beyond, along with articles about genealogy research and methodology.

If you are a SGS Member, volumes 60-66 of the Bulletins, from years 2010-2017, are available to you online at the SGS website, in the Members Only section, after you login. The Bulletins are fully searchable online; try it.
Additionally, Volumes 1-59, from years 1952 – 2010, have been nicely bound and are available for anyone to peruse. They are on a shelf in the SGS Library. The call id# is SEA/4-Per/SGS. The helpful SGS library desk volunteer can lead you right to them.
Thanks to the efforts of Seattle Public Library, volumes 1-59 are also full-text searchable online! I found that using the Advanced Search feature and being specific with your search, was more productive. To get to the Special Collections Online, first go to the Seattle Public Library Website and step through the menus until you find the “go to Special Collections Online”.  Once at spl.org, click on the following , in this order:
  • Library Collection
  • Special Collections
  • Go to Special Collections Online

Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

Watch your mailbox….
the “SGS 2018 Spring Seminar” brochures
were mailed this week!! 

We are excited and very honored to be hosting D. Joshua Taylor for our 2018 Spring Seminar,“Family History: What the Future Holds”.  D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS is a nationally known and recognized genealogical author, lecturer, and researcher and a frequent speaker at family history events across the globe. He holds an MLS (Archival Management) and an MA (History) from Simmons College and has been a featured genealogist on Who Do You Think You Are? with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Clarkson, Ashley Judd, Reba McEntire, and Rob Lowe. At the present time Joshua can be seen taking America through their past as a host on the popular PBS series Genealogy Roadshow.

The 2018 Spring Seminar will be held Saturday, May 19, 2018, 9:00 am at Fairview Christian School, 844 NE 78th St, Seattle. Doors will open at 8:00 am. SGS Members $55.00, all others $65.00. Pre-order a box lunch $12.00. A additional $10 fee will be charged for registrations received after May 12, 2018.

On Sunday, May 20, 2018, two optional sessions for seminar attendees will be held at Seattle Genealogical Society Library, 6200 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. Session I: “Treasures in the Archives: Using Archive Grid” will be at 9:00 am and Session II: “Building Context and Making Connections: Using JSTOR for Family History” will be at 10:30 am. You must register in advance for these sessions when you register for the seminar. Each session is limited to 30 persons. Fee for each session is SGS Members $30.00, all others $40.00.

Don’t miss this seminar. Send in your registration today. If you prefer to register online, registration opens on April 1 and you may do so here:

https://goo.gl/forms/FxooB1XKPtr2NTeS2

SPACE IS STILL AVAILABLE 

Last chance to register for the SGS Online Class “AN INTRODUCTION TO GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY” with instructor Heidi Mair.  Class will meet online Thursdays: April 5, 12, 19, 26 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.  SGS Members $30.00, All others $40.00. Class description and registration form is here:

http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/content/registration-introduction-genealogy-online-class

 WASHINGTON  STATE GENEALOGY SOCIETY
ANNUAL  AWARDS CEREMONY

This year the WA State Genealogy Society Annual Awards Ceremony will be held in conjunction with the Clark County Genealogical Society Conference. It looks to be a great program, a great speaker and lots of fun activities.  If you have not already made plans to go, please consider attending.  Events run May 25-27th, with the Conference on the 26th. To take advantage of the early registration discount, be sure to register now, before April 2nd.  The registration forms,as well as more info on the conference, are available on the website, www.ccgs-wa.org . Out of towners, notice there is a special conference rate at the Hilton.

The Clark County Genealogical Society conference seminar key speaker will be David Allen Lambert. Serving as chief genealogist for the venerable New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), David’s seminar topics include 1) World War 1 Military 2) Great Migration Era settler research 3) Probate & Deed Records research.  As an honored guest at the Hudson Bay Company Gala Reception Friday evening, he will be able to share his genealogical gems; seemingly small finds that lead to amazing stories. Check out all the activities and details for this weekend on their website mentioned above.

BEGINNER?

All necessary materials will be provided for this free beginners class, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, from 10:15 am – 3:00 pm. No reservation required and no fee for this full day of instruction at the SGS Library, 6200 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. Please bring your own sack lunch as there is nowhere close to the SGS Library to get lunch.  Everyone is welcome. Linda Fitzgerald, past SGS president, will be the instructor.

CORRECTION

The time for the “AN INTRODUCTION TO DNA FOR GENEALOGY” SEATTLE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY – ONLINE COURSE, 3 Part Series”, on Thursdays, May 10, 17, and 24, is 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM. It was inaccurately reported as ending at 1:00 pm in the March 15, 2018, eNews! Apologies.

There is still space available for this series of online classes with Karin Borgerson. You may register using the  “Join SGS” online membership form. In the first drop-down menu on that form, “New or Renewing”, you should select “Class”. In the second drop-down menu, “Membership Type”, you want to select “DNA Class”.  Start here:
http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/content/join-sgs

SAVE THE DATES

​

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

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

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.

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

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 on Easter Sunday, April 1, and  Mother’s Day, May 13. It will also be closed May 19 due to our Spring Seminar.

APRIL

Thursday, April 5, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Online Introduction to Genealogy and Family History – Part 1, Heidi Mair will be the instructor of this 4 part interactive online class series. Cost for the 4 class series is $30 for SGS Members, $40 for non-members.  Registration required.

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

Saturday, April 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, April 8, 1:30pm – 3:30pm, Scandinavian SIG, with Karen Knudson. There will be a short review of Nordic Gothic handwriting & a discussion of what topics to cover in future meetings. Please bring your projects and ideas.

Tuesday, April 10, 10:15am – 3:00pm, Beginning Beginning Genealogy, with Linda Fitzgerald. All necessary materials will be provided for this free beginners class.  No reservation required and no fee for this full day of instruction. Please bring your own sack lunch as there is nowhere close to SGS to get lunch.

Thursday, April 12, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Online Introduction to Genealogy and Family History – Part 2, Heidi Mair will be the instructor of this 4 part interactive online class series. Cost for the 4 class series is $30 for SGS Members, $40 for non-members.  Registration required.

Saturday, April 14, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Family Tree Maker (FTM) Users Group, leaders Reiley Kidd & Betty Ravenholt, this group meets  the second Saturday of every even month, FTM is the tool long associated with Ancestry.com

Saturday, April 14, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm,  Second Saturday Speaker Series, the speaker will be Janet Camarata, the topic “General Land Office Records”.

Wednesday, April 18, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Seattle Mac Genealogy SIG, Sponsored jointly by SGS, Fiske, and dBug, meets quarterly at Pioneer Hall at the Fiske Genealogical Library, 1644 43rd Ave E, Seattle. Contact Diane Hettrick at dhettrick@earthlink.net with questions.

Thursday, April 19, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Online Introduction to Genealogy and Family History – Part 3, Heidi Mair will be the instructor of this 4 part interactive online class series. Cost for the 4 class series is $30 for SGS Members, $40 for non-members.  Registration required.

Saturday, April 21, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Irish SIG, with Jean Roth
Saturday, April 21, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, German SIG, with Jean Roth

Thursday, April 26, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Online Introduction to Genealogy and Family History – Part 4, Heidi Mair will be the instructor of this 4 part interactive online class series. Cost for the 4 class series is $30 for SGS Members, $40 for non-members.  Registration required.   

MAY

Saturday, May 5, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Canadian SIG, Come join David Robert, group leader, for help researching your Canadian ancestors.

Saturday, May 5, 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, May 6, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, DNA Workshop, with Cary Bright, First hour focuses on questions that group members bring; second hour focuses on Genome Mate Pro

Thursday, May 10, 12:00pm – 1:30pm, Online Intro to DNA for Genealogy – Part 1, Karin Borgerson will be the instructor of this 3 part interactive online class series. Cost for the 3 class series is $30 for SGS Members, $40 for non-members.  Registration required.
Saturday, May 12, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm,  Second Saturday Speaker Series- “Profile of a Quaker – Finding a Friend in Colonial America”,  by Steven Morrison   

Thursday, May 17, 12:00 pm – 1:30pm, Online Intro to DNA for Genealogy – Part 2, Karin Borgerson will be the instructor of this 3 part interactive online class series. Cost for the 3 class series is $30 for SGS Members, $40 for non-members.  Registration required.

Saturday, May 19 , 9:00am-4:00pm , Spring Seminar with D. Joshua Taylor, seminar will be at Fairview Christian Church, 844 NE 78th St, Seattle.  See the featured article above and the SGS website for more details.

Sunday, May 20, 9:00 am, Special Session #1 “Treasures in the Archives: Using Archive Grid” with D. Joshua Taylor,  separate registration and fees apply – see the seminar brochure
Sunday, May 20, 10:30 am, Special Session #2 “Building Context and Making Connections: Using JSTOR for Family History” with D. Joshua Taylor,  separate registration and fees apply – see the seminar brochure

Thursday, May 24, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, Online Intro to DNA for Genealogy – Part 3, Karin Borgerson will be the instructor of this 3 part interactive online class series. Cost for the 3 class series is $30 for SGS Members, $40 for non-members.  Registration required.

JEFFERSON COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY April Meeting

by Charles Hansen

JEFFERSON COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (JCGS)

PO Box 627 

Port Townsend, WA 98368

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

 Release Dates: April 2018

ORGANIZING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY IN ORDER TO STAY SANE

One of the underrated, yet much needed skills in genealogy, is organization. Many researchers have been doing family history for decades and are simply buried in paper. New and experienced researchers are overwhelmed with all the data and information they collect daily on the internet. This program will discuss some of the challenges of organizing and also what can happen when we fail to organize our data. We’ll look at the number of different methods for sorting out all that data and talk about how to decide which one is right for different types of researchers. If this is of interest, you are invited to attend the Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) monthly meeting to hear professional genealogist Mary Kathryn Kozy, Join JCGS members on Saturday, April 21, 9:30 – 11:30 am at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 W. Valley Rd, in Chimacum. There is no charge for attending, however donations are appreciated. Visit our website www.wajcgs.org

Mary Kathryn Kozy has been researching her family history for over 35 years and in many localities. She has served in multiple positions in societies both on the local and state level and currently serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogical Society of WA State as well as a LDS missionary. She holds bachelor’s degrees from University of Washington in both Zoology and Information Technology & Systems and has completed three certificate programs with the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. She has also completed the ProGen program with an eye toward certification.

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Thursday Evening

E-News, Edition

29 March 2018
For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for April 2018, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at www.gfo.org.

Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!

Easter Day GFO Closure

GFO’s Library will be closed this coming Sunday, April 1st, for the Easter Holiday.

We hope to see you again bright and early on Monday, April 2nd, at 9:30am!

As always, thanks for all you do for GFO.

Call for Raffle Tablers

 

GFO needs several superhero volunteers at the Spring Seminar.

Contact GFO’s Vice President, Sharyle Kingston, at vicepresident@gfo.org asap if you’re even the least bit interested!
Duties include staffing our raffle table during the Saturday Seminar on April 14th.

Location: Oregon Military Museum @ Camp Withycombe, 15300 SE Minuteman Way, Clackamas, Oregon
Time: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Note: Photo ID required by venue.

As always, thank you for all you do for GFO.

GFO’s Spring Seminar is Around the Corner! Register Now
 

How can you prove your ancestors fought in the American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War or World War I?

Come hear one of the most engaging national experts in military records at the GFO’s Spring Seminar April 14 & 15.

We’re bringing Michael Strauss in for two great days of lessons.

Location: Oregon Military Museum @ Camp Withycombe, Details Here!
Sign Me Up

Call for Bulletin Co-Editors!
 

Our fearless co-editor, Marti Dell, needs your help to keep our quarterly publication alive and well!

We have an opening for another co-editor for The Bulletin. This exciting position includes:

▪ Soliciting interesting articles.
▪ Managing the editing process between our copy editors and proofreaders and authors.
▪ Coordinating the layout process.
▪ Ensuring electronic and mail delivery of the finished product four times a year.

Interested? Please contact Marti at bulletin@gfo.org.

Greek, Not German Please
 

Online Greek Dictionary

We apologize for the incorrect link to a German online dictionary in last week’s E-News.

The intended Greek dictionary website, linked HERE, is not only a “modern Greek dictionary” but also has many additional resources for your research and cultural curiosities.

Illinois Annexes Other States (Well, Our Interest Group Does)
 

The Illinois Special Interest Group has officially become: The Great Lakes Region Special Interest Group.

This group generally meets on the second Saturday of the month at 9:30 a.m. at the GFO library. No meetings in July, August, December, and always check the GFO calendar for updates to this schedule.

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.

If you would like more information about this group or have questions, you may contact Lynn Rossing via email at GreatLakes@gfo.org.

Do you have Cuban ancestors?
 

Database of Officers of the Ten Years War 1868-1878! Click HERE for all the info on this expansive project.

The database is published on CubaGenWeb and is the compilation work of Eugenio de J. Perez Ferrer and Jose de Santa Cruz Pacheco Rivery.

Don’t forget the May 19th GenTalk at GFO (free event…oh so very free) all about Cuban ancestry!

At the GFO This Week…

SUNDAY, April 1st

The GFO Library will be closed this Sunday for the Easter holiday.

MONDAY, April 2nd

First Free Monday!! 9:30am – 5pm

Not a member of the GFO, but desperate to find out what’s in our holdings and to use all our wonderful online database subscriptions (Newspapers.com, World Library Ancestry.com, HistoryGeo, and more)? No problem! Every first Monday of every month GFO’s library is absolutely free and open to the public! Hope to see you there.

WEDNESDAY, April 4th

Learn & Chat 10am – 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 Jean Quan.

DNA Q&A 1 – 3pm

Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more involved questions.

Friday Serendipity

by Charles Hansen

More thoughts, ideas and sights gleaned from my trip to New Zealand:

Do you have your mother’s or grandmother’s teacup collection??? If so, have you ever wondered what to DO with all of those porcelains??? Well, here’s an idea, found in a cafe in NZ: