Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 500 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2017 award recipients and learn why they received the 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.
Patricia Hert
Today we’re introducing Patricia Hert of Yakima, Washington, who was nominated by the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society (YVGS). She was recognized for her steadfast support of a number of projects in the society.
Ms. Hert became a member of the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society in 2011. She is an active volunteer, assisting with their library inventory and indexing projects as well as participating in their yard sale and rest stop fundraisers.
Currently, Ms. Hert is the society’s treasurer and an assistant librarian. She is also a member of the Washington State Genealogical Society, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) and the Central Washington Chapter of AHSGR.
Ms. Hert is a respected and diligent member of the YVGS. Her contributions demonstrate that she richly deserved being a recipient of a 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.
For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Roxanne Lowe, Interim Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.
Attention all Societies & Organizations:
The deadline to name your 2018 Outstanding Volunteer is Feb 15. All we need by that date is the name of your honoree. To view other deadlines, click here.
The Outstanding Volunteer and Outstanding Team Awards are presented each year at the Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony to members nominated by their local society. Nomination criteria is left to the individual societies, but limited to two individuals or one team. This year’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony will be at the Clark County Genealogical Society‘s Spring Workshop on Saturday, May 26 in Vancouver.
Honor those outstanding members and teams that help your organization be successful. If you’ve got questions, contact Roxanne Lowe, Interim WSGS Recognition Chair.
A newspaper clipping from 1800 about George Washington’s death?
A pair of cowboy boots fit for a baby?
A set of old photos fused together?
Your great grandmother’s passport?
Jeff Adamson from Richland braved the snowy pass to attend, wanting to know how to preserve his unlabeled panoramic photo, possibly a Navy detachment from World War II.
What do all these treasures have in common? They were just a few of the possessions brought to a recent presentation by the staff from the Southwest Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives on how to preserve records and memorabilia. Those lucky enough to get into the free class (with a waiting list!) were educated about disaster preparedness (what five things would you grab if you had an emergency???); what records to keep and for how long; and scanning, preservation and organizing photos and documents. We also heard author and historian Drew Crooks explain how he organizes his digital collection of drawings by Edward Lange, an artist who drew highly detailed panoramic drawings of the state and British Columbia from 1889 – 1912.
Archivists Mary Hammer and Tracy Rebstock (middle and right) give advice to WSGS member Joanne Huber (left) on her ancestor’s fragile, faded marriage certificate from Canada.
The presentations certainly held the attention and interest of the roomful of genealogists and family historians, but the creme de la creme was the “show and tell” where attendees got expert advice about how to preserve the item they’d brought. While we first sat politely in our seats listening to the history (or unknown history) of each item, by the end, we clustered around the owner eager to hear from the archivists about how to preserve and document the prized possessions.
Tracy Rebstock, Southwest Regional Branch archivist, will be taking her (shortened) show on the road to the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society on Feb. 8 and the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society on June. 9. The Southwest Regional Branch of the State Archives includes Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skamania, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties.
BURLINGTON — Skagit Valley Genealogical Society (SVGS) meets on the second Saturday of the month from 1:00-3:00 pm at the Burlington Senior Center, 1011 Greenleaf Ave. (Use the East entrance) The program for Saturday, February 10 is: Fir Island and Conway History discussed by co-authors, Patricia Hanstad-Pleas, Andrea Millward-Xaver and Janet K. Utgard. The panel discussion program will focus on the early days of this area of Skagit County and some of the pioneer families who settled there. Free and the public is welcome. For details: skagitvalleygenealogy.org / genealogy0715@gmail.com. Reminder: SVGS has genealogist volunteers available to assist you with your research at the Burlington Public Library, 820 E. Washington Ave. on the first Saturday of the month from 11am-1pm (except holiday weekends). For more information email: rootsproject@frontier.com .
LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES
We all make mistakes, no matter how long we have been doing genealogy research, and Diane Young is no exception. She has been working on her family history for over 40 years and has accumulated several of her own missteps as well as collected stories from other genealogists. Some people may be reluctant to admit their mistakes, but because Diane thinks they are great learning experiences, so she will be sharing her errors with us. There will also be time for other brave folks to “fess up” and share their own blunders.
The public is welcome to attend monthly meetings of the Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) on the third Saturday of the month; Saturday, February 17, 2018, at theTri-Area Community Center, 10 West Valley Road, Chimacum. Social time 9:30 to 10:00 am; 10 to 11:30 am brief announcements and the program. Visit JCGS website at www.wajcgs.org.
Diane Young is a Jefferson County Genealogical Society member who is currently spending time helping raise her family’s next generation in California. Before retiring to Port Ludlow, Diane taught business courses at Glendale Community College and at California State University Northridge. Her specialties include research in Sweden and in the Czech Republic.
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: February, 2018
You can really get a good deep look into an ancestor’s life by reading the inventory of his/her possessions when the estate was probated. EVERY single little thing was apparently listed…….. and it surely shows how very little they had by way of possessions. (Think how long YOUR list would be???) Below is the inventory of an ancestor of mine dated 1774:
What I found quite fascinating, as I typed this list, was the mixed-up nature of it….. outdoor tools mixed in with kitchen stuff. And he had a Bible! (Where else did the family obtain new-baby names?) Another bit of interesting trivia, as I understand, all this stuff did not automatically go to the wife…… My, my, my how times have changed for the better.
This film was made of the surrender ceremony of the Japanese to General McArthur in Tokyo Bay on 2 Sep 1945. You may have seen still photos, but probably not this film. Click here Japanese Surrender
Linda
7th Annual Exhibit Honoring Black History Month!!!!
It is my pleasure to invite you to this year’s highly anticipated exhibition as we celebrate and explore “blackness” through art. Featured artist JeremyGBell.com explores personal growth expressed through metaphor. Using roses, he examines self worth and personal potential.
What can powerful evocative art do for you and your organization?
Let us build relationships with art as a vehicle that spring boards discussion, advocation, awareness, promotion and fundraising. Let’s work together, to build together.
This year we are excited to share masterful and thought provoking artwork by: JeremyGBell.com, Hiawatha D., Roosevelt Lewis, Cheryl Zahniser, and Warren Pope!
SEE THE SHOW: FEB 1-28th!
Michael Birawer Gallery
1003 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104 (Click for google map)
206.624.7773
Opening Reception!
DATE: February 1 (Thursday)
TIME: 5-8pm
Additional Dates of Interest:
February 8 (Thursday)
5-8pm
Altruist Partners Host:
Nonprofit Professionals Mixer
February 15 (Thursday)
6-8pm
Live Music in the Gallery
featuring Elijah Dhavvan
“Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Brown were awakened at night by the “violent ringing of the doorbell.” Mrs. Brown ran to the door, but saw nothing except a big pasteboard box. “Fearing it might be a bomb, she called her husband to investigate,” said the article in The Spokesman Review back on 11 July 1917.
Inside the box “they found a baby boy, wrapped up in a clean little pink blanket.” An attached note said, “Please take good care of me. My birthday was June 20. Buster.”
The box also contained a bottle of milk and a package of baby food. Mrs. Brown telephoned all of the neighbors, as well as the police and a doctor. The doctor arrived and reported that Buster weighed ten pounds and was perfectly healthy.
Mrs. Brown said she was willing to keep him. Mr. Brown, railway mail clerk, said, “it’s all right with me, if the boy is healthy, I guess.”
The mystery is: Whose family tree includes a Buster Brown, son of C.B. Brown, whose birthday is June 20, 1917 in Spokane???
P.S. I found nothing positive in the 1920 census. Ah, the mystery!