Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society October Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Overview of Scandinavian Resources, 2 part series

Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society

Jill Morelli, CG will be the guest speaker at the October and November Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society (SVGS) meetings.| She will be presenting an Overview of Scandinavian Resources which will give an introduction to three major record sets of Sweden, Denmark and Norway in a two part series.  Part one will be Tuesday, October 10th at 1 pm and Part 2 will be Tuesday, November 14th at 1 pm.   Both presentations are 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. Jill resides in Seattle, WA.

Family Search October Webinars

by Charles Hansen

Free Family History Library Classes and Webinars for October 2017

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has announced its free family history classes and webinars for October 2017. Participants can attend in person or online. The October schedule includes how-to classes for Canada,UK, US and Venzuela research, using the FamilySearch Family Tree, learning the new web-based indexing tool, 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 at 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 (MST).

If you are unable to attend a class in person or online, most sessions are recorded and can be viewed later online at your convenience. To access these, go to the archive for Family History Library classes and webinars.

DATE / TIME

CLASS (SKILL LEVEL)

WEBINAR | ROOM

Monday Oct. 2, 10:00 a.m.

Using the FamilySearch Catalog Effectively (Beginner)

Webinar | 2N Lab

Tuesday Oct. 3, 10:00 a.m.

Tips and Tricks for Using FamilySearch’s Historical Records Collection (Beginner)

Webinar | M Lab

Wednesday Oct. 4, 10:00 a.m.

Italian Language Indexing (1½ hours) (Intermediate)

Webinar | M Lab

Thursday Oct. 5, 1:00 p.m.

Using England Probate Records (Intermediate)

Webinar | B2 Lab

Monday Oct. 9, 10:00 a.m.

Using the FamilySearch Catalog Effectively (Beginner)

Webinar | 2N Lab

Tuesday Oct. 10, 10:00 a.m.

FamilyTree: Correcting Relationships (Intermediate)

Webinar | M Lab

Tuesday October 10, 11:00 a.m.

Figuring Out Place Names for Swedish Genealogy (Intermediate)

Webinar | MF A

Tuesday October 10, 1:00 p.m.

Criminals, Lunatics, and Witches, Oh My! Finding the Less Than Pleasant in Family History (Beginner)

Webinar | B2 Lab

Tuesday October 10, 2:00 p.m.

Starting FamilyTree: Open Questions and Answers (Beginner)

Webinar | M Lab

Wednesday Oct. 11, 3:00 p.m.

Web Indexing Training for Temple and Family History Consultants—Brazil: (1½ hours) (Intermediate)

Webinar | B2 Lab

Thursday Oct. 12, 1:00 p.m.

Finding Jewish Ancestors in England (Beginner)

Webinar | B2 Lab

Thursday Oct. 12, 4:00 p.m.

Web Indexing Training for Temple and Family History Consultants—South America: (1½ hours) (Intermediate)

Webinar | M Lab

Monday Oct. 16, 9:00 a.m.

Using the FamilySearch Catalog Effectively (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Monday Oct. 16, 10:15 a.m.

Canada Research: Canada Census Records (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Monday Oct. 16, 11:30 a.m.

Are You Your Own Brick Wall? Common Genealogical Mistakes and Their Solutions (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Monday Oct. 16, 1:15 p.m.

United States Vital Records (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Monday Oct. 16, 2:30 p.m.

United States Naturalization Records (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Tuesday Oct. 17, 9:00 a.m.

FamilySearch Wiki (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Tuesday Oct. 17, 10:15 a.m.

Canada Research: Canada Vital Records (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Tuesday Oct. 17, 11:30 a.m.

Descendancy Research (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Tuesday Oct. 17, 1:15 p.m.

United States Land Records (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Tuesday Oct. 17, 2:30 p.m.

United States Probate Records (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Wednesday Oct. 18, 9:00 a.m.

Tips and Tricks for Using FamilySearch’s Historical Records Collection (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Wednesday Oct. 18, 10:15 a.m.

Canada Research: Quebec Research (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Wednesday Oct. 18, 11:30 a.m.

A United States Case Study (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Wednesday Oct. 18, 1:15 p.m.

Census Techniques and Strategies (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Wednesday Oct. 18, 2:30 p.m.

Great Internet Sites for United States Research (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Thursday Oct. 19, 9:00 a.m.

FamilySearch Memories (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Thursday Oct. 19, 10:15 a.m.

Canada Research: Ontario Research (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Thursday Oct. 19, 11:30 a.m.

The Research Process (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Thursday Oct. 19, 1:15 p.m.

Genetic Genealogy: An Introduction to DNA (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Thursday Oct. 19, 2:30 p.m.

Using LDS Church Records (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Friday Oct. 20, 9:00 a.m.

Freedman Bureau Records (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Friday Oct. 20, 10:15 a.m.

Immigration and Canadian Border Crossings (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Friday Oct. 20, 11:30 a.m.

Ask Your United States and Canada Research Question (Beginner)

Webinar | M B/C

Friday Oct. 20, 1:15 p.m.

Canada Research: Canada Military (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Friday Oct. 20, 2:30 p.m.

Over There! World War I Records over Here (Intermediate)

Webinar | M B/C

Saturday Oct. 21, 1:00 p.m.

Recursos Genealógicos de Venezuela (Beginner)

Webinar | VIP Room

Monday Oct. 23, 10:00 a.m.

Using the FamilySearch Catalog Effectively (Beginner)

Webinar | 2N Lab

Tuesday Oct. 24, 10:00 a.m.

What’s New at FamilySearch (Beginner)

Webinar | M Lab

Tuesday Oct. 24, 11:00 a.m.

Danish Tax Records (Advanced)

Webinar | B1 Lab

Tuesday Oct. 24, 1:00 p.m.

Exploring Probate Records in Norway (Intermediate)

Webinar | MF A

Wednesday Oct. 25, 10:00 a.m.

Spanish Language Indexing (1½ hours) (Intermediate)

Webinar | M Lab

Wednesday Oct. 25, 11:00 a.m.

Online Resources for Finnish Research (Intermediate)

Webinar | B1 Lab

Wednesday Oct. 25, 1:00 p.m.

Tracing Ancestry in Ireland’s Land and Other Records (Intermediate)

Webinar | B2 Lab

Thursday Oct. 26, 1:00 p.m.

Your British and Irish Research Questions Answered (Beginner)

Webinar | B2 Lab

Monday Oct. 30, 10:00 a.m.

Using the FamilySearch Catalog Effectively (Beginner)

Webinar | 2N Lab

Tuesday Oct. 31, 1:00 p.m.

Deciphering Portuguese Script (Beginner)

Webinar | MF B

 

Thursday Query

by Charles Hansen

With the blessing and permission of the Washington State Genealogical Society board, I get to start a new blog posting! Thursday Query will be the title and for this feature to be worthwhile, I shall rely on YOU to submit your query to me for this feature. Here’s the criteria:

  1. Send it to Donna243@gmail.com
  2. Make sure to include a name, a date and a place.
  3. Limit this to queries about Washington history and/or ancestors.
  4. Submit a photo if you have one.
  5. Please know I reserve the right to edit the query.
  6. Queries won’t be posted every Thursday unless I have them!

So on to the first one! I found this wonderful photo in Apple Annie’s Antique Gallery in Cashmere, Washington.

The stamp on the frame says, “Grams, Minot, N.D.” Handwritten across the bottom is ‘Bertha and Gus Monesmith.”

I did some looking on Ancestry, and found a 1920 marriage record for Gus Monesmith from Wenatchee, and Laura Belle Branin, also of Wenatchee. I also found (on Ancestry) an obituary: “Gus Monesmith, age 86, born in North Dakota, came to Wenatchee in 1904, in 1920 he married Laura Branin. He left a son, Thomas Monesmith, Scotts Bluff, NE;  three daughters, Nellie Reeves, Marion Gossman, and Mildred Travis, all of Wenatchee. So who is/was Bertha???

Would love to return this photo to a descendant if I can find one!

New Photos on Blog Banner

by Roxanne Lowe

Spokane River. Photo by Donna Potter Phillips

Have you noticed the Blog banner changes every time you visit? The photos are submitted by readers like you. We’re always looking for scenic photos of our beautiful state for the rotating photo gallery on the blog banner.

The current batch of pictures were taken by Bettye Hull from Cheney and Donna Potter Phillips from Spokane.

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 prize if your photo is chosen – just the satisfaction that your photo is being showcased on a blog viewed by hundreds of enthusiastic genealogists.
•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.

Wednesday Nostalgia

by Charles Hansen

Perhaps today’s memory item isn’t that old but it’s still nostalgia-evoking to me. This is a “mangle” or Ironrite ironing machine. I remember my Mom sitting at the Ironrite, moving the controls with her knees, and ironing EVERYTHING……shirts and sheets, hankies and hand towels and tablecloths. She explained that it saved both time and her back.  Do you have memories of an Ironrite? Did you ever catch a finger??

Tri-City Genealogical Society October Seminar

by Charles Hansen

25 Sept 2017

Dear TCGS Members and Guests:
The Seminar will be here very shortly, but you only have 5 more days to register for this DNA seminar if you want to have the lunch and the syllabus included with your registration. After September 30th, unfortunately, your registration will not include the lunch or the syllabus; however, you can still register up to the day of the seminar, and the syllabus will be available for $5.00 at the registration table.
So, please give some serious thought about activating your registration this week.  Thank you for your consideration and we hope to see you at the October 14th Seminar (“Understanding Your DNA”).
Sincerely,
Art Kelly
TCGS Seminar Publicity Committee

Tuesday Trivia

by Charles Hansen

I found this totally fascinating:  While at the Fiske Library in Seattle, I browsed some old issues of a New England periodical I’d heard of but had never taken the time to view. The Vol. 1 issue of The Essex Antiquarian was published in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1897. Paging through this first volume, I spotted a query posted by somebody from Castle Rock, Washington! In 1897!

The query read:  “Wanted, date of birth of William Baker, of Ipswich, who married in 1686 to Sarah Fitts.” (Signed) Mrs. E.R.H., Castle Rock, Wash.

Wonder if Mrs. E.R.H. ever found her William Baker??

P.S. Castle Rock was incorporated in 1890.

Join These Super Star Scribers

by Roxanne Lowe

The Washington State Genealogical Society is asking its members and blog readers to support the state’s Digital Archives in October. We are unbelievably lucky in this state to have a resource like the Digital Archives. What a wealth of information, including historic photographs, BDM records, cemetery directories, maps and land records — many from pre-statehood. All access, all free. Transcribed and indexed by volunteers like you! Click here to join the army of volunteers.

Today, we’re highlighting two Digital Archive transcriber super stars:

Steven Baylor started indexing before there was a Scribe (the super easy online transcription application used to transcribe records).  Since official counting began, he has transcribed almost 150,000 records — and growing every day as it’s something he works into his daily schedule. Whenever he has a half hour here or a couple hours there, he sits down and indexes a dozen or so documents.  According to Steve who is a former President of WSGS and member of the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society:

“It’s all part of paying it forward.  My research has been made easier by others who have spent hours indexing and I’m pleased I can do my part to increase accessibility of public records. Now that my wife has Alzheimer’s, I need to be at home most every day.  Indexing is something I can do and still feel like I am contributing to the genealogical community without having to travel anywhere.

Steve started indexing many years ago when he and other WSGS members worked with the Secretary of State’s office to index the 1910 Federal Census of Washington. After that labor-intensive undertaking, the Archives Office began using a “hybrid” system where they would mail paper copies of documents to transcribers who would index them online or on a disk and mail the paper copies back to Olympia.  Steve’s wife assisted him by reading names to him while he typed, then she would double-check the finished product before they clicked the send button. Great teamwork!

Charles being recognized for his accomplishments by former Secretary of State Sam Reed.

Charles Hansen started in 2003 when the Digital Archives was being built near the Eastern Washington University campus in Cheney (Charles lives in Spokane).  State officials began asking local genealogical societies to donate records to put in the infant digital archives. Charles had some DOS databases (remember DOS????) for early Spokane County births, deaths and marriages. He also had indexed the 1887 Spokane County Census. He generously gave those electronic records to start the digital archives. Shortly thereafter, Archives officials asked for volunteers to help index and volunteer at the archives, so he started indexing — being sent paper copies of the records and a floppy disk with the format to index.

The next transcription and index improvement was Scribe — the online digital application that allows users to become “honorary archivists” of the state’s historically important records. By using Scribe, volunteers are able to add information to the images, making them searchable online. It’s easy to use — just fill in the blanks and save the data. Each record can be viewed by many transcribers, but two transcriptions must match exactly before the record can become searchable.

Charles, a member of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society and WSGS’s Blog Master, has indexed 151,240 records since record counts have begun.

But you don’t have to be a super star like Steve or Charles to make a difference! Any record transcribed or indexed is a record available to the public. To date, I’ve transcribed nine records (yes, 9!), but I’m committed to making these records available for public access. Help me!

To sign up for Scribe, click here.

 

Report on the WSGS Board meeting.

by Charles Hansen

WSGS, the Washington State Genealogical Society, exists for one reason: To be of assistance to all the genealogical societies in the state. That mission statement was loud and clear at the recent Board meeting in Yakima.

The Board consists of 16 good folks and 13 were present; that’s dedication. They come from all four corners of the state; Ginny Majewski, the president, comes from Sequim…. that’s a 500 mile round trip!

The meetings are kept to agenda, business is accomplished, Parliamentary rules are followed, and everybody participates. It’s a good group!

All projects, plans and programs were discussed. Website problems and updates were discussed. The use of ZOOM for virtual meetings (not just for this Board but any society in the group) was discussed. Questionnaires were sent to all genealogical societies in the state and Ginny is coordinating the returned into; to wit, how can WSGS help YOU?

A new state-wide project was opened for business. WSGS wants to have a listing of all Civil War burials in Washington and will partner with http://www.civilwarvetswastate.com

to create and maintain such a list.

I am proud to be associated with this great group of dedicated workers and  hope that if you are approached to help WSGS that you will not think twice but will answer “YOUBETCHYA!”