Friday Serendipity

by Charles Hansen

**** Reading a fantastic book: FamilyTrees: A History of Genealogy in America, by Francois Weil, 2013. Weil starts at the very beginning of America and explains why folks were interested in knowing their backgrounds and family history. (I’ll give more bits from this book in the future.) Page 204:  “Market growth (of the genealogy industry) since the 1970s has taken place in two phases. Before the growth of the Internet came the commercial effects of the new interest in genealogy, symbolized by the success of Roots, and of technological change in the preservation, reproductions and transfer of information.”  At a conference in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1982, a session on using computers in genealogy was included. “Computers are becoming quite common in genealogical research,” it was declared.   Did you realize that Ancestry.com (1983) predates FamilySearch.org (1999)??? When did you begin using a computer for your genealogy???  My first computer, in about 1991, was a Kaypro 10 and I was so excited to have it! With it’s green letters on a black screen!

 

FGS November Webinar Building Bridges Between Societies

by Charles Hansen

November 2017 FGS Webinar: Building Bridges Between Societies

The November 2017 FGS Society Management webinar will feature Kim Ashford, who will present “Building Bridges Between Societies.” Learn how the German-American Genealogical Partnership was created, the lessons learned, and how working with other societies can strengthen and excite your membership.

Kim Ashford enjoys membership in multiple genealogical societies. She is one of the founders of the International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) which is bringing together societies from around the world that have an interest in German genealogy. She currently serves on the board of the Germanic Genealogy Society in Minnesota as Past President.
The webinar will be held on November 16, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. Central Time, and will be recorded for viewing on the FGS website shortly after its conclusion. Please register in advance.
NEXT TIME: The topic for the December webinar is “Creative Programming Options for Small Societies,” to be presented by FGS President Rorey Cathcart.
About the Webinar Series
Each month, the FGS Society Management Webinar Series will feature a new and interesting topic, ranging from recruitment and volunteer management to technology, publications, and working with your local tourism board.
Webinars are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Central Time. Advance registration is required. Regular updates will be shared via the FGS Voice blog, FGS Voice Newsletter, and social media.
Speakers interested in presenting topics should contact Jen Baldwin, Education Chair, at education@fgs.org.
Are you looking for a rewarding and beneficial way to volunteer? The Education Committee at FGS could use your expertise. Please contact Jen Baldwin at education@fgs.org

NEHGS Webinar Notarial Records in Quebec

by Charles Hansen

Upcoming Webinar—Watch from Home!
Navigating Notarial Records in Quebec
Thursday, November 16, 2017, 3:00–4:00 PM EST
Presented by Sheilagh Doerfler, Senior Researcher
Free and open to the public

Notarial records are an essential—yet often overlooked—resource for family historians researching ancestors with roots in Quebec. From marriages to estate inventories to labor contracts these records can provide a wealth of genealogical information not found elsewhere. Join Senior Researcher Sheilagh Doerfler to learn about what types of notarial records exist, how to access them, and how to get the most out of these important resources.
Register
Can’t attend a live broadcast? Not a problem! You will be able to watch a recording of the presentation on our website following the broadcast.

About the Speaker

NEHGS Senior Researcher Sheilagh Doerfler received her B.A. in History and Communication from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Her research interests include New England, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Ireland, Sweden, and Norway.
Questions?
Call 617-226-1226 or
email education@nehgs.org

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen
GFO Logo Halo 2 Large

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Wednesday Evening

E-News

8 November 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!
***

Don’t forget about the Helping Hands Workshop this Sunday! – November 12th, 10:30am
helping hands

Brought to you by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon

“At some point, almost every genealogy researcher will hit the proverbial brick wall or dead end with one or many of their ancestors. Records appear to be missing, a maiden name seems impossible to find or you need to find ancestors in another country but don’t know where to look. The resources out there are many and varied. Sometimes all the options available can be downright overwhelming.”

JGSO’s meeting will be a helping hands workshop. You’re encouraged to bring a list of 3 or 5 of your most difficult brick-wall family history questions to the meeting on Sunday, Nov 12th at 10:30am at Congregation Ahavath Achim.

“Take advantage of this golden opportunity to get some one-on-one help, or make use of this groups’ collective knowledge to smash some of your brick walls to smithereens! Bring your research and family tree on a flash drive or on a laptop or tablet. Internet access will be available.”
***

Do you like oral histories as much as we do??

Continue reading →

Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society November Meeting

by Charles Hansen

 

Jill Morelli, CG will be presenting part 2 of an Overview of Scandinavian Resources which will present an introduction to three major record sets of Sweden, Denmark and Norway in a two part series.  The presentation will be Tuesday, November 14th at 1pm.  The presentation will be held at the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society Library, is free to the public and will be followed by the regular meeting of the SVGS.  Jill lectures and writes about her research and discoveries as a family historian.  She is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild, Association of Professional Genealogists and numerous societies and is coming to us from Seattle, WA.

Was Your Ancestor an Early Washingtonian?

by Roxanne Lowe

Do you have an ancestor who lived in Washington when it became a state on 11 Nov 1889? Did he/she come a little later, say before 31 Dec 1900?

Patrick Murphy arrived in Washington Territory in the spring of 1888.

If the answer to either question is “yes,” then you may be eligible to purchase a Pioneer Certificate or First Citizens Certificate honoring your early Washington citizen.

The process is pretty simple. Read the instructions and complete the application, starting with basic information about yourself, then your parent(s) and so on until you get to your first Washingtonian. Then list the evidences of proof linking each generation to the next. For example, I was born in Aberdeen (used my birth certificate). I am the daughter of Patricia Murphy Ferbrache (used her birth certificate) who was the daughter of Daniel Murphy (census record) who was the son of Patrick Murphy who arrived in the Satsop River Valley (Chehalis County, now Grays Harbor County) from New Brunswick, Canada in the spring of 1888. I used a land record (below) showing Patrick purchased land on the Chehalis River on July 10, 1888 — where my 91-year-old mother still lives today.

Land record, Chehalis County

After completing the Pioneer form (same procedure for the First Citizens Certificate), I sent it and my $10 fee to Pioneer Chair Frank McLean. Pretty soon my certificate arrived in the mail. I purchased another certificate later as an auction item at the annual Murphy Picnic — a much sought-after item!

The WSGS started the Pioneer and First Citizen Program in 1984 in anticipation of the state’s centennial admission to the union in 1889. While the three printed volumes of names are no longer in print, many libraries (including the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society’s library) have copies. An all-name index is available here. Hint: If you’ve got a Pioneer (here before 11 Nov 1889) or First Citizen (here before 31 Dec 1900), you might check the index to see if a cousin has already done the research! Detailed lineages are available to WSGS members through the Members Only link. A Pioneer and First Citizen brochure is available here.

There are a number of resources and aids, including Frank, to help you with your documentation. I’m proud to be the great granddaughter of a Washington Pioneer. Join me!

 

Fall and Winter Photos Wanted

by Roxanne Lowe

Washington is beautiful any time of the year, don’t you agree? Winter seems to have arrived a little early this year, so let’s celebrate that beauty. We’re looking for scenic photos of our fall and winter Washington wonderland for the rotating photo gallery on the blog banner.

Guidelines for the photos are few:
•Landscapes, landmarks, and scenery photos are preferred. If, however, you have a perfect photo that includes people, please obtain their permission to post the photo.
•Photo must have been taken in Washington State (this is the Washington State Genealogical Society blog, after all!).
•Photo will be cropped to 1100 x 250 pixels, so keep that in mind.
•You may submit as many photos as you want.
•Final decisions on suitable photos will be made by the awesome WSGS Blog Team.
•There’s no firm deadline to submit photos, just keep ‘em coming. We want to rotate lots of photos to keep the blog fresh.

To submit your photo, please email the image (jpg only, please); what, where, when, and by whom the photo was taken to WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.

Got questions? Email the blog team at WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.

Meet the Board: Nancy Cordell

by Roxanne Lowe

Do you know who’s running the show at the Washington State Genealogical Society? Did you know we have an Executive Committee, six standing committee chairs and three appointed non-elected officers? Who are all these people? In the coming months, we’ll introduce them to you, so you can say “hi” the next time you see them.

Nancy Cordell, Region 3 Representative

In today’s “Meet the Board” series, we’re introducing you to Nancy Cordell. Nancy lives in Tumwater and is WSGS’s Region 3 Representative (Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, and Thurston Counties). She is also a member of the Olympia Genealogical Society where she has been president since July 2016.

Nancy, 1961 in Madrid, Spain

Nancy was born in southern California to Harry and Bertie (Grange) Neville. She earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology, specializing in biological anthropology, in 1991 at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Dr. Nancy” then taught biological anthropology to undergraduates for 30 years. What is biological anthropology, you ask? It’s a branch of anthropology that explores the biology of humans in the present and in the past, with a strong emphasis on understanding and exploring human diversity. Sounds like a perfect segue to her becoming a professional genealogist, earning a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University. Now retired from her educational career, Nancy owns her own genealogical business, “Diggin’ Our Past.”

Nancy’s interest in genealogy came early. Her mother’s family migrated to Utah in the mid-1800s from England and Denmark as converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). Nancy is proud of her early Utah pioneer roots.

Nancy’s great grandparents Annie and Walter Boyed, 1914

Featured in the photo on the right are Nancy’s great grandparents, Annie Louisa Mullens and Walter Eugene Boyed. The photo was taken in 1914 in Las Vegas, Nevada, just after they had moved from the mining town of Rhyolite, Nevada where they’d lived for nearly 10 years. Walter, born in 1861 in Texas, was a prospector and miner. He married Annie in 1899 in Tooele, Utah at the age of 38. Nancy’s still “diggin’ her past” to find out more about Walter before his marriage to Annie.

Nancy and her husband have two grown daughters. Besides being a proud member of WSGS and OGS, Nancy is a member of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Association of Professional Genealogists, International Society of Genetic Genealogy, and the National Genealogical Society.

A few more interesting tidbits about Nancy:
• Favorite genealogy websites: Ancestry
• When asked one word that describes her, Nancy replied, “Curious.” A very good characteristic for a biological anthropologist – and a genealogist!

Now you know a little more about another of the WSGS Board members. The next time you see Nancy say hello and thank her for her service to WSGS.

Wednesday Nostalgia

by Charles Hansen

Care to join me in feeling old today? It’s only November 8th and there are inches of snow on the ground and it’s cold and wet. Bahhumbug. Think Maxine’s advice will really help prevent old age sagging? (We wish!!)