Washington State Digital Archives’ 200 Million Contest

by Charles Hansen

 Meet Gordon Russ.

He won the Washington State Digital Archives’ 200 million contest, making the closest guess of December 5th for the day Digital Archives would make its 200 millionth entry into its database. There was no science behind this guess. He picked it simply because of the fact that it was his birthday. Gordon took home an Ancestry DNA kit, a fitting gift for the history buff.

https://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2017/12/searching-through-old-newspapers-is-easier-thanks-to-gordon/

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen
GFO Logo Halo 2 Large

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Wednesday Evening

E-News, Edition

20 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!
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JUST IMAGINE WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH NEXT!
money-christmas-stockings

Don’t let 2017 slip away and 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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Ireland Satellite

Genealogy in the news! Read all about it! Ireland’s history through advancing DNA discoveries.

A recent article from Nature.com gives some very intriguing insights into the world of genomes and ancestral migration patterns within Ireland’s most recent DNA test results.

If you’re currently riding the wave of DNA-genealogical-discovery, you’ll love this article’s level of detail!

The full article, titled “The Irish DNA Atlas,” can be read HERE.
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Save the Dates for these Fantastic January 2018 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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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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Call to Volunteers – Nomination Committee Members Needed!

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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Holiday Schedule this Week:

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

We sincerely hope you enjoy your holidays this coming weekend! All the best wishes from your friends at the GFO.

Dupus Boomer’s Prefabulous Richland

by Charles Hansen

Dear TCGS Members and Guests:

Note that our own TCGS member, Connie Estep will be a co-presenter tomorrow night on:

Dupus Boomer’s Prefabulous Richland

Thursday, December 21st at 7:00 p.m. at the Richland Public Library

“What happens when you take a secret WWII project, add a booming population, and build a city in the desert? You have to ask Dupus Boomer all about the Prefabulous Richland. Join Terry and Connie as they use Dupus (a blue-collar Dilbert of the 1940s) to introduce the people and the places of the atomic pioneers in Richland, WA.”

Tuesday Trivia

by Charles Hansen

Most all genealogists used the FamilySearch website. We also use Ancestry, Find-My-Past, MyHeritage, and a host of other website containing user-submitted family trees.

How many of us look with a careful, critical eye to the information we find amidst the branches on those online family trees? Do we swallow every new name, date and places as if it were “good medicine?” Or do we stop, slow down and ask questions.

I was Internet-searching in the above named databases thinking to further the lineage of James Paschal. Here’s an entry I found on FamilySearch, copied faithfully as I spotted it:

James Paschal

1742 – Midd, NJ

1792 – North, Carolina, Puerto Rico, USA

What on earth was that dear soul submitter thinking??? That’s more than a simple “finger jerk” goof.

The point is here to yes, search those family-tree-user-submitted online databases but consider carefully what you find. At best you’ll find really goofy stuff and at best you’ll find great clues. Not final answers without further research. But you all knew that right?

Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

Ah, yes, Christmas (or similar celebrations) are just around the corner. The strains of “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire……” come to mind. What do you really know about chestnuts? Are they edible? Song says so. How to prepare them?

Chestnuts, also called Buckeyes back east, are a deciduous tree in the Beech family and have been grown for food since at last 2000 BC. If you’re really interested, Google “how to prepare chestnuts for eating,” and you’ll get lots of how-to tips. You will also get posts that chestnuts are NOT tasty and might even be poisonous.

What are tasty are Ohio Buckeye candies……….. Google the recipe. Now there is something worth the preparation effort!

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK – Get a FamilySearch Account Now

As of December 13, 2017, patrons visiting FamilySearch.org are asked to log into their account, and if they do not have one, they are asked to open one. Not to worry; registering is a very simple process, and it is free.

I have had an account with FamilySearch.org for years and will vouch for them. They will not try to sell you anything and they will not bombard you with email. They promise not to pass your name and information to a third party without your consent.

If you had been using FamilySearch.org without logging in, you may not realize you were missing out on much of what FamilySearch.org had to offer. Without an account, you only had access to a small portion of their world class records.

Why is this login change necessary? FamilySearch is rapidly working toward their goal of getting all family history data into digital format, to be available online. Remember much of it was available only on microfiche and on paper in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. With these changes, many of their data partners are asking for a more controlled environment and an authentication process, and with some providers, it is a contractual issue.

For over 100 years, FamilySearch, historically known as the Genealogical Society of Utah, has been dedicated to preserving the records of the family of mankind. Their purpose, to help people connect with their ancestors through easy access to historical records.

Signing in is a small price to pay for access to so much free, quality data. If you haven’t been to FamilySearch.org for awhile, be sure to visit soon.

Watch the upcoming eNews! issue for a tip on local FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries. There are a few you probably didn’t know about.  Possibly, there is one near you.

Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

 REILEY KIDD,
VOLUNTEER OF FALL QUARTER

SGS is pleased to honor and recognize Reiley Kidd for the various roles he has served in since joining the society in 1983.

Before Reiley had the spare time to be a volunteer, he benefited from the many services SGS provides, such as library resources, seminars, classes, and knowledgeable volunteers willing to lend him a hand with his genealogical research.

After retirement in 2014, he took on his first major role at SGS as a Library Trustee. Later that same year, he stepped in to fill the position of Secretary that became vacant on the SGS Board of Directors. He served as the SGS Secretary until June 2017.

One of the projects that Reiley is most proud of is the KC3I Court index. Over 10 years of work went into completing this database, which contains over 1.7 million entries from King County probate cases, divorces, and more.  If you have ever used this valuable resource, you have Reiley, members Marilynn Van Hise and Winifred Price, and their team of volunteers to thank.  Over 300 research requests have been fulfilled!

Reiley has stepped back a bit from SGS, but still fills three “minor roles” (his words, not ours). He continues to fulfill research requests for patrons through KC3I. He leads the Family Tree Maker (FTM) Users Group, that meets on the second Saturday of every even-numbered month.  And last, but not least, he writes proposals for an annual grant from 4Culture. SGS received $3,500 in grant money from 4Culture in 2017.

Reiley says he is proud to be a part of the continuous operation of the Seattle Genealogical Society, an important part of this city for nearly 100 years.

Thank you, Reiley, for your years of service to SGS!

ANNUAL SGS CLEAN LIBRARY WORK PARTY
DECEMBER 28, 2017 

The pleasure of your company (guys and gals) is requested to assist with the cleaning of the SGS Library between 10 am and 2 pm on Thursday, December 28. Refreshments will be provided. If you are able to help, please RSVP to: operations@SGS.org

SGS ANNUAL APPEAL

Membership dues cover less than half of the costs of maintaining the unique SGS research library, educational programs, and family history services that enrich our broader community. So each year SGS appeals to you, our generous members and friends, for the tax deductible donations that are needed to sustain the society.

This year there are a few ways to donate.

Your donation could go further in December, thanks to PayPal and their PayPal Giving Fund Website.

If you donate to SGS online using the PayPal Giving Fund Website and your PayPal account, PayPal will waive the fee they usually would charge SGS for that transaction, plus they will match 1% of your donation amount! If you have a PayPal Account and want to take advantage of this offer, please enter here:

https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/108133408063901813/charity/1363855

(Here you will be asked to log in to your PayPal account in order to complete the payment transaction. PayPal will send you a PayPal Giving Fund tax receipt via email)

Another way to donate is using the form current SGS members received in the mail earlier in December, or using the form that was emailed to eNews subscribers on December 5th. If you prefer, that can also be done via the donate page on the SGS website.  Here’s that link:
http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/content/donate-to-sgs

(Here you will receive an email invoice from PayPal and can use your credit/debit card to complete the payment)

Thanks so much, everyone!

          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  from December 22 through January 1, 2018, for the holidays.

DECEMBER

Saturday, December 16, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean Roth

Saturday, December 16, 1:00pm – 2:30pm, German SIG, with Jean Roth

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

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.

Mayflower 2020 Website from American Ancestors!

by Charles Hansen

Announcing the Mayflower 2020 Website from American Ancestors!

We are pleased to announce that we recently launched a new interactive website to commemorate the upcoming 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing. The site presents the most authoritative biographies to date of the Pilgrims who set sail for a new world 397 years ago—available for free for the first time. The biographies are drawn from Robert Charles Anderson’s Pilgrim Migration, the biographical details include information on births, marriage, children, and roles in Plymouth Colony. As we approach 2020, more in-depth features and scholarly material will be added to the site to commemorate the historic Mayflower voyage.
Learn About the Passengers


The site also invites the living descendants of Mayflower passengers to engage with the past by becoming a part of modern Mayflower history. The 2020 website is currently gathering the world’s first online gallery of Pilgrim descendants—NEHGS is documenting the ever-increasing diaspora of an estimated 30 million living descendants of the original Mayflower passengers around the world. Descendants are invited to commemorate their connection and heritage to these venerated figures of our nation’s history by placing their name, photograph, and other identifiers in an online gallery—immediately joining a virtual community of people worldwide who share Mayflower ancestry.
Join the Modern Descendants

Eastside Genealogical Society January Meeting

by Charles Hansen

 

The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, January 11, 2018 in the Emerald Heights Retirement Community (Emerald Room) at 10901 176th Circle NE, Redmond, WA 98052 at 7 pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm for networking. (See our website for Driving Instructions.)

 

Topic: Catching Your Ancestors in the Act, Using Newspapers to Track Your Ancestors in Time and Place —  The daily activities of our ancestors are often captured by the ubiquitous local newspapers, human interest, comedy, tragedy it is all there whether or not our ancestors wanted to appear in print or not. Even better the number of historic newspapers available for research just keeps growing and many are available online for free.  We will discuss both free and subscription sites as well as the many state archives and demonstrating the Chronicling America website through my favorite backdoor at Stanford University. Come, learn and have fun!

 

Speaker: Bob Barnes is a past president of the EGS and currently chairs it education program.  He teaches genealogy classes for the King County Library System and has been a genealogy instructor at the Bellevue College Telos Program for a number of years. He also provides genealogy assistance at both at the Bellevue Library and the Bellevue Family History Center.

 

See our website for Driving Instructions, FREE genealogical help and other Special Interest Group meetings. Visitors are always welcome at all meetings. www.eastsidegenealogicalsociety.com  or https://eastsidegenealogicalsociety.com/