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!!)

How to Post on the Blog

by Roxanne Lowe

Do you want to broadcast information about your local society, workshop, genealogical tip, or a research query? Just post to the WSGS Blog! You can reach hundreds of genealogists from around the state. Just email a Word document, text file, PDF or graphic to WSGSBlog@wasgs.org and the blog masters will do the rest.

We’re always looking to publicize local events and workshops, feature stories, updates from your society, and other genealogical information that might be of interest to our many subscribers.

We hope to hear from you soon! And don’t forget to encourage your Society members to subscribe to the Blog for the most up-to-date information from around the state.

You may manage your subscription options from your profile.

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society November Meeting

by Charles Hansen

The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) will meet Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, at the LDS church on Bainbridge Island, 8677 Madison Ave, from 10:00a.m. – 12 noon. Noted NW genealogist and presenter Steven W. Morrison will be speaking on “NOW WHAT? Options for YOUR Genealogy Education”. Free to members, a $5.00 donation is suggested for nonmembers. For more information go to http://www.bigenealogy.org or call 206-780-8009. BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.
                                                                   ######
Sue Elfving
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society
Director of Publicity and Public Relations

Tri-City Genealogical Society Annual Dinner Meeting

by Charles Hansen

This is a reminder about the annual dinner.
Please note that the TCGS Annual Dinner Meeting (no-host dinner) will be held at the Isla Bonita Restaurant in Richland on November 8th.  The banquet room will be open at 5:30 p.m. and you may order dinner by 6:00 p.m.
A $2.00 coupon is offered by Isla Bonita via the following website, so you may want to take advantage of this offer. Also, this website will show you the address, telephone number and a map for directions.
Thanks for your continued support of TCGS and we hope to see you on November 8th.
Sincerely,
Art Kelly
Tri-City Genealogical Society V.P./Program/Publicity Chair

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Clark County Genealogical Society November Meetings

by Charles Hansen

NAVIGATING THROUGH NEW YORK CITY’S BOROUGHS FOR GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH

Wed 08 Nov 2017: 5-6:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

Many people can trace their origins to the Empire State. Between the American Revolution and the Civil War, several key urban cities along the eastern seaboard grew in population, the most populous of which was New York City. This Legacy Family Tree webinar offers a unique perspective into the countless genealogical sources and historical records that can be found in New York City.

 

SCANDINAVIAN ROOTS FOCUS GROUP

Thu, Nov 9, 2017: 10-11:30am

CCGS Education Center

If you want to discover your Scandinavian roots, attend this monthly meeting and learn how to conduct your research. Meet with other like-minded individuals who have discovered their ancestors going back many generations in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. The November meeting topic will be “What is new in Swedish Genealogy Research.” The presentation will include extensive material from a Swedish workshop sponsored by the Swenson Center of Augustana College in Salt Lake City. This focus group meets regularly on the second Thursday of the month, September-May. Members and non-members are welcome.

 

USING NON-POPULATION SCHEDULES FOR CONTEXT AND EVIDENCE

Fri 10 Nov 2017: 11 am-12:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

We are familiar with the decennial censuses, but the non-population schedules can also provide evidence and context for your family history. Using basic analytical skills and correlating tools, we will investigate five different records sets which shed light on many aspects of our ancestors lives and enrich our stories of them.

 

SECRETS OF THE CENSUS

Tue, Nov 14, 10am-12 noon

Instructor Barbara Schrag

CCGS Education Center

Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced researcher, you can always learn more about what the census has to tell you. This class will focus on details of the United States Federal Census. Instructor Barbara Schrag will also touch on census research in Canada, Ireland and Great Britain.Class is $12 for CCGS members and $15 for non-members. Pre-registration is requested as classes may be canceled with insufficient advance registration.

 

BRITISH AND IRISH RESEARCH: THE DIFFERENCES

Wed 15 Nov 2017: 11 am – 12:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

Ireland was England’s oldest colony, but the records are not always the same in each country as their history and relationship to each other are different. We all know about the terrible loss of Irish records, but there are great treasure troves of surviving records which don’t exist in England – records about war, rebellion, security and land control. This Legacy Family Tree webinar will examine the differences in records and research techniques between Britain and Ireland, why Irish records were created, or destroyed, and how they can be used to unlock your past.

 

RESEARCH IN FEDERAL RECORDS: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Tues 21 November 2017: 5-6:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

Federal records offer genealogical gold with direct references to our ancestors and rich contextual background information. But it can be daunting to explore record groups that are not readily available online. The wide array of tools includes paper finding aids, preliminary inventories, online indexes, web guides, and published articles, as well as the National Archives Catalog. This Legacy Family Tree webinar will offer a framework and several case studies that highlight the integration of multiple research tools.

 

General Membership Meeting: RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING GERMAN ROOTS

Tues 28 Nov 2017: 10 am – 12 noon

CCGS Education Center

Tom O’Brien, a frequent speaker at Portland area genealogy groups, will give tips and resources for researching German ancestors. After looking at reasons why our ancestors may have chosen to leave their homeland, we’ll look at the constant boundary changes and other events that influenced the lives of our ancestors. Tips for locating the records created by our ancestors will also be given.

 

UNDERSTANDING ALABAMA

Wed 29 Nov 2017:11 am-12 Noon

CCGS Education Center

Alabama presents the budding genealogist with both unique challenges and unique opportunities. Explore the records and repositories you’ll need to consider. Learn Alabama’s place in classic southern migratory patterns, and the reasons for it. In this Legacy Family Tree webinar, discover opportunities for African American research not found in other southern states.

 

Jefferson County Genealogy Society November Meeting

by Charles Hansen

JEFFERSON COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY

PO Box 627

Port Townsend, WA 98368

Contact for this media release: Judy Tough 360- 385-3065 or tough@olympus.net

FOR RELEASE: NOVEMBER 10 – 17, 2017

FAMILY TREES HAVE ‘KNOTS’ IN THEM

Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) members have submitted “family tree knots” (aka “brick walls”) to Jesse Stewart and friends, JCGS’s researchers extraordinaire. This annual popular presentation finds Jesse presenting a variety of research techniques and records to consider some ”knotty” problems such as finding the maiden name of the women in your tree. Jesse asks the audience for suggestions of research options and tips, giving each of us ideas for our own research challenges. This opportunity is free and open to the public. Join us on Saturday November 18th at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 W. Valley Rd., Chimacum, 9:30 to 1l:30 am. Donations gratefully accepted and used to bring professional genealogists to speak at our monthly meetings to which the public is always invited. Visit JCGS at www.wajcgs.org for more information.