Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

NEW MEMBERS ON THE SGS BOARD

SGS has found two new board members to fill vacancies. Sue De Laat is the new technology officer and Heidi Mair is the new volunteer coordinator.

Sue recently retired as IT manager for King County. She has 40 years of experience in the tech field.  She is a graduate of the UW Certificate in Genealogy and Family History program and is currently working toward becoming a nationally certified genealogist.

Heidi has been doing genealogy since she was 14 years old. It has been a lifelong passion. She has an extensive background in non-profits, specifically in volunteer coordination.  She, too, is a graduate of the UW Certificate in Genealogy and Family History program. She also teaches yoga.

Heidi Mair’s contact at SGS is volunteers@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org  and
Sue De Laat’s is technology@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org

Welcome, ladies.  Good to have you on board.

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT
BEFORE YOU SHARE YOUR DNA

Several SGS members are recommending you read and understand these informative articles by Judy G Russell, the Legal Genealogist, before you upload your raw DNA to Prothease or any websites offering to provide reports and glean genetic health information from your DNA.

Will the genetic health Information drawn from your DNA be fun, fact, or fiction? It’s safe to say it’s probably going to be interesting and fun, but how much credence can you give it?  What does it really mean? They do tell you the report is for educational and research purposes only, and it is important to remember it is not a medical diagnosis.

You should understand the implications of sharing your DNA. Always carefully read the agreement, privacy policy, and terms and conditions. Do your homework. These articles by Judy G Russell are a good place to start.

https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2017/12/10/promethease-promotion/

https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2016/11/20/that-other-health-option/

THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT

In the spring of 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act passed by Congress was the first law restricting immigration. This act provided an absolute 10-year moratorium on Chinese labor immigration. In 1892, it was extended. And in 1902, made permanent.  It was not repealed until 1943.

Documents, records of individual case files, and Certificates of Residence housed in the National Archives detail the individual stories resulting from this and subsequent legislation. Very detailed stories!  On Saturday, January 13, at 1 pm, Trish Nicola of NARA will speak on this fascinating subject at our Second Saturday Speaker Series.

Come learn more about it.

SAVE THE DATE 

Family History Fanatics,
eConference,
“Finding Family Stories and Passing Them On”,
January 19th at 8:45 am Central Time. 

Speakers will be Randy Seaver, Eric Wells, Victoria Woo and Tammy Hepps. Participants will learn about how to find, preserve, and share their family stories.  Five hours of interactive instruction for the early bird price of $19.99 through January 10th, and $24.99 thereafter. More details and registration can be found at: https://www.familyhistoryfanatics.com/jan2018. Feel free to let any of your friends or family know about this eConference.

          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.

JANUARY 

Saturday, January 6, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Family Tree Interest Group, Lou Daly, leader of this special interest group exploring all the features of the tool Family Tree on FamilySearch

Saturday, January 13, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, Second Saturday Speaker Series, “Chinese Exclusion Act Files – Original Documents at NARA” will be presented by Trish Nicola

Sunday, January 14, 1:30pm – 3:00pm, Scandinavian SIG, with Karen Knudson; there will be a review of online cemetery sites similar to Find-a-Grave.

Saturday, January 20, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean Roth
Saturday, January 20, 1:00pm – 2:30pm, German SIG, with Jean Roth

Saturday, January 27, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, DNA SIG, this group meets at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE, Seattle. For more information contact SGSDNASIG@gmail.com Co-chaired by Cary Bright and Herb McDaniel.

FEBRUARY

Saturday, February 3, 10:15am – 12:15pm, 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, February 4, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, 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, February 10, 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, February10 , 1:00pm – 3:00pm, Second Saturday Speaker Series, “Using Academic Libraries for genealogy Research” with Lisa Oberg

Sunday, February 11, 1:30pm – 3:00pm, Scandinavian SIG, with Karen Knudson. Jill Morelli will give her talk “Finding your Nordic Parish of Birth” & be available for questions following the presentation.

Saturday, February 17, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean Roth
Saturday, February 17, 1:00pm – 2:30pm, German SIG, with Jean Roth

WSGS Blog Year in Review

by Charles Hansen

I have been a blogger for years before the WSGS Blog started and have always been amazed that blogs are so interesting, yet so few people read many blogs. They do get read, and so here are some interesting items from the WSGS Blog.

While most of our readers are from the United States, we also have readers from several other countries.

We also have readers from many states, but this list is the top cities, thanks Seattle for always being number one. The last few weeks number two on the list has been Philadelphia? Anyone know why Philadelphia is interested in our Blog?

This is the top 15 hits this year. Most everyone gets the blog as a digest weekly, so that is why number one is on this list.  I see some people have found the categories and tags we attach to most every blog article. While the articles Donna Phillips does on trivia, serendipity and  mystery are popular, they did not start till later in the year so they do not show up on this annual list.

I know I welcome the few comments we get, would be nice to get more, but is there anything else you would like to see in the blog that we have not thought of?

In 2017 there were several major seminars held on the same days, and that it is hard to schedule speakers, but maybe a save the date post early in the year could alert everyone of upcoming seminars early enough to avoid conflicts in 2018 or 2019.

I want to thank all the people that send their information on upcoming meetings, seminars and items of interest, you make my job very easy to do. I also want to thank my fellow bloggers  Donna Potter-Phillips and Roxanne Lowe.

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Wednesday Evening

E-News, Edition

27 December 2017

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 November 2017, 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!
***

Annual Appeal? “Yes! You can count on my support.”

New Year Fireworks

It’s almost the new year! Don’t miss out on your tax write-off.

Because GFO is a 501(c)(3) organization, your donations are tax deductible.

Give now by visiting our Annual Appeal page HERE.

Remember GFO is a 100% volunteer-reliant organization. That’s right! We have no paid staff.

So every gift goes directly to keeping the lights on, the doors open, and to providing the best resources possible for family history researchers!

The simple truth is: GFO relies on donations for our continued existence.

If you prefer to send a check or money order, you can use our paper form HERE and mail it with your gift to: Genealogical Forum of Oregon, 2505 S.E. 11th Ave., Suite B-18, Portland, OR 97202.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Psst! GFO belongs to the Oregon Cultural Trust (now easier to find as “Genealogical Forum of Oregon”) and has attained a silver-star rating on GuideStar.
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Save those January 2018 dates! Upcoming GFO Events:
Akee Tree Image

African American Special Interest Group – Jan 27th

Come here Stephen Hanks talk about his book Akee Tree!

Stephen Hanks is a legal process server in the state of Oregon, and a specialist in African American genealogy, volunteering his time in helping to promote African American genealogy through his network, Genealogical Networking Services. In 2006 Hanks was a contributor to the PBS special “African American Lives—Oprah’s Roots” which examined the genealogy of Oprah Winfrey. He lives in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of Akee Tree: A Descendant’s Search for His Slave Ancestors on the Eskridge Plantations. He will discuss – helpful hints to African descent genealogy; overcoming roadblocks in your research; and share his personal family research.
Boot Camp

Beginner’s Boot Camp

Come join GFO’s President, Laurel Smith, for a day of beginning your genealogy adventure!

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan 31st, 9:30am – 6pm

WHERE: GFO’s Multipurpose Room (map)

WHAT: There will be sessions about the census, vital records, immigration and naturalization, discussions about genealogy software and database use, organizing your research and more — all geared toward beginners.

HOW: Bring a sack lunch so the discussion can continue while we eat. GFO members may attend for free, and non-members should please bring $20 to pay at the door. Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops, but it is not required.

RSVP: Please let us know if you plan to attend by sending a message to RSVP@gfo.org. Handouts will be emailed in advance.
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Calendrier-republicain-debucourt2

Special Saturday Schedules – January, March, May, September 2018

Due to all the wonderful Special Interest Groups (SIG’s) at the GFO that we’ve been trying to squeeze in for the benefit of our patrons, our library will close to researchers at 12:45pm on the last Saturday of the four months listed above. We ask that you kindly plan accordingly.

See our online CALENDAR for more info.

Remember, all our SIG’s are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
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voting booth

The GFO needs help from its members getting ready for 2018 elections!

The following positions are available for new candidates this coming fiscal year, and we need a very special Nominating Committee from our membership to help find people to fill these positions. Interested?? Email president@gfo.org today!

Candidate Proposals Needed For:
* GFO President
* Director-at-Large
* Secretary

Also, if you’re interested in being one of the potential candidates, again email Laurel Smith at president@gfo.org.
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desk-calendar-12992149

Go on! Click the calendar. I dare ya!!

Holiday Schedule this Week:

GFO’s library will be closed Sunday, December 31st, and Monday, January 1st. We reopen at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 2nd, in observation of New Years Eve and New Years Day.

Additional Note: Monday, January 8th, is a First Free Monday day!! If you don’t have a regular membership, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the holiday quiet to use the library resources for free on this date!

We sincerely hope you enjoy ringing in the New Year this coming weekend! All the best wishes from your friends at the GFO.

Free Family History Library Webinars for January

by Charles Hansen

Free Family History Library Classes and Webinars for January 2018

If your New Year’s resolutions include free, how-to family history classes, then look no further than the array of webinars and classes offered by the Family History Library starting in January 2018. Participants can attend in person or online. The January schedule includes informative classes for Ireland, Portugal, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway, and United States research, using the FamilySearch Family Tree, learning how to use the FamilySearch tools more effectively, how to index, and other useful tips and instruction. Some classes are available in Spanish. See the full schedule below. Mark your calendars for events you want to join so you don’t forget.

Online classes are noted on the schedule as webinars. Webinar attendees need to click the link next to the class title on the scheduled date and time to attend the class online. Those attending in person simply go to the room noted. Invite your family and friends. All class times are in mountain standard time.

If you are unable to attend a class in person or watch it online at the time it is scheduled, you may be able to watch it later. Most sessions are recorded and can be viewed later online at your convenience. To view these recorded sessions, go to the archive for Family History Library classes and webinars.

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Eastern Washington Genealogical Society January Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Saturday, January 6, 2018
Historical Preservation of Spokane  (Special Events)
12:00 pm
The Pearl China Buffett 21 East Lincoln Spokane WA
Megan Duvall is the Historic Preservation Officer for the City/County of Spokane. Prior to taking on her current role in Spokane in 2014, she spent nearly fifteen years as the Certified Local Government (CLG) Coordinator and the Survey Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) in Olympia. A native of Spokane, she graduated with a Fine Arts undergraduate degree from Washington State University with an emphasis in painting and studied preservation at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia where she earned a MFA in Historic Preservation. She spent a couple of years as the Executive Director of the Enumclaw Downtown Partnership before taking the position with DAHP.
Learn more about the historic preservation program in the City of Spokane as well as Spokane County. Megan will discuss some of the initiatives recently undertaken by her office. She will also show us how to use the website to find out lots of information on the history of Spokane and specific properties and give tips on how to research historic properties and more!
Lunch with a discount and including tax is $8.70; with coffee $9.25, with soda $10.65.
Please pay as you come in to save time and confusion.

Family History Fanatics eConference

by Charles Hansen

Family History Fanatics is presening an eConference Finding Family Stories and Passing Them On January 19th at 6:45am Pacific Time.
Speakers will be Randy Seaver, Eric Wells, Victoria Woo and Tammy Hepps. Participants will learn about how to find, preserve, and share their family stories.  Five hours of interactive instruction for the early bird price is $19.99 through January 10th and $24.99 thereafter. More details and registration can be found at: https://www.familyhistoryfanatics.com/jan2018. Feel free to let any of your friends or family know about this eConference.
Thanks,
Andrew & Devon Noel Lee
Family History Fanatics
Humble, TX | 281-552-7288

LOWER COLUMBIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY January Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Please join us as we begin the new year with local historian, jerry kelly, who will present his work scanning the yearbooks of High Schools in Cowlitz county

LOWER COLUMBIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

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

SOMERSET RETIREMENT APARTMENTS

2025 TIBBETTS DRIVE, LONGVIEW

DINING ROOM 7:00 PM

Jan 11, 2018

VISITORS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.

Seasons Greetings from GFO 2017

by Charles Hansen

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon would like to extend our warmest wishes to all our members, patrons and supporters for a safe and lovely holiday season.

GFO’s Research Library will be closed tomorrow, Sunday, December 24th, and Monday, December 25th, until 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 26th.

We will also be observing the world’s most recent revolution around the sun the last week of this month. In other words, the Library will be closed Sunday, December 31st, until 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 2nd.

Don’t forget! Monday, January 8th, is a First Free Monday day!! Tell your friends and remind yourself if you don’t have a regular membership to take advantage of the holiday quiet to use the library resources for free that day!

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