Serendipity Friday

by Charles Hansen

*** Clark County Gen Society REALLY Honors Their Honorees

*** A Really, Truly Great Success (Teaching!) Story

*** WSU Press: Uncommon, Undeniably Northwest Reads

*** Ghost Towns….In WASHINGTON?

*** Today’s Laugh

When I visited my friend Lethene Parks, librarian for the Clark County Gen Society, and she showed me around their library, a wall display really caught my eye. They had framed and proudly displayed the certificates of honor from WSGS awarded to CCGS members! Dear Folks, receiving a Certificate of Merit from WSGS, based on your society’s recommendation, is a Big Deal. And was really a Big Deal to the Clark County folks.

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When I found I had early/colonial New York/Dutch ancestors, I went after them! My findings pointed to Ulster County, NY. I was at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, I checked the Library Catalog to see what materials they might hold for Ulster County. I found The Genie, publication of the Ulster County Gen Society. I hauled all the issues they had to a table and spent a happy hour paging through all of them and did find some likely clues. I next determined to contact that society to follow up on the clues.
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Yakima Seminar on Saturday — Not Too Late to Register

by Roxanne Lowe

Jay Fonkert

You don’t want to miss the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society‘s Spring Seminar  this Saturday, April 22, 2017 at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 7809 Tieton Drive in Yakima. In addition to four lecture sessions with professional genealogist Jay Fonkert, the Washington State Genealogical Society’s annual meeting will be held during the lunch hour honoring outstanding volunteers and projects. For more information on the seminar, click here.

Registration can be done online at the YVGS website or at the YVGS library at 1901 S. 12th Avenue, Union Gap. Day-of-seminar walk-ins are welcome, however, lunch cannot be guaranteed.

Nancy Cordell Named Region 3 Representative

by Roxanne Lowe

Dr. Nancy Neville Cordell

Nancy Cordell of Tumwater has been appointed the Regional Representative for Region 3 by WSGS President Virginia Majewski. Region 3 includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason and Thurston counties.

Nancy is an active member of the Olympia Genealogical Society where she currently serves as president.  A professional genealogist, as well as having a Ph.D. in biological anthropology, she helps researchers through her website, Diggin’ Our Past. You’ll learn more about Dr. Nancy in an upcoming “Meet the Board” blog feature.

The Board is still in search of Regional Representative volunteers in a number of areas around the state:

  • Region 1 North – Island (part), San Juan, Snohomish (part)
  •  Region 1 South – Island (part), Skagit, Snohomish (part), Whatcom
  • Region 7 – Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens
  • Region 8 – Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan

For more information on the responsibilities of a Regional Representative, click here or email WSGS Vice President Donna Potter Phillips at Donna243@gmail.com.

FREE Access to 32 Probate-Related Databases on AmericanAncestors.org

by Charles Hansen

FREE Access to 32 Probate-Related Databases on AmericanAncestors.org  (18-25 April 2017)

From our friends at AmericanAncestors.org …

April 18, 2017—Boston, Massachusetts—New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is offering free access to thirty-two probate-related databases for one week—from Tuesday, April 18, through midnight (EDST) Tuesday, April 25—with registration as a free Guest Member on AmericanAncestors.org. These databases contain some of the earliest probate records of colonial Massachusetts and other New England colonies and states, as well as New York, and New Brunswick, Canada.

AmericanAncestors.org/probate provides a wide variety of information and features on the use of probate records in family history research, and brings the probate research expertise of NEHGS staff to genealogists of all levels. It is a gateway to a deeper understanding of the use of probate documents in the study of one’s family history.

Probate records can be a powerful resource for genealogists and other researchers. These papers document legal decisions that explain how an individual’s estate is distributed to heirs, dependents, and creditors. Probates may list a person’s spouse, children, and other relatives. They may also contain important clues to a person’s financial status, by including a list of worldly possessions at the time of death. These details can reveal a lot about an ancestor’s personal life in addition to being a reliable proof of identity and may provide previously unknown information about an ancestor to add to the family tree.

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Tuesday Trivia

by Charles Hansen

Apparently Washington State has a designated, official, item for more things than you or I would ever guess. Our trivia for the day is this list:

State Bird —  American Goldfinch

State Dance  —  Square Dance

State Fish  —  Steelhead Trout

State Flower  —  Coast Rhododendron

State Folk Song  —  Roll On, Columbia, Roll On

State Fossil  —  Columbian Mammoth

State Fruit  —  Apple

State Gem  —  Petrified Wood

State Grass  —  Blue Bunch Wheatgrass

State Insect  —  Green Damer Dragonfly

State Marine Mammal  —  Orca

State Ship  —  Lady Washington

State Song  —  Washington, My Home

State Tree  —  Western Hemlock

State Vegetable  —  Walla Walla Sweet Onion

How many of these would you have known, had I not included the answers? Do you know of any others???

 

Reading the Blog Daily

by Charles Hansen

Most everyone reading this blog reads the weekly digest, but there are other ways to read a blog, the simplest is to go to the URL for the blog and bookmark it, then you can go the blog whenever you are online. Our WSGS blog is located here    if you want to go bookmark it. Problem is there may not be any new posts since you were here before and so is there a better way to read a blog, a way that notifies you when a new post is online? Yes an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader is the way to do that. If you were around a few years ago most all genealogists used Google Reader, a really easy to use RSS reader. Google decided to discontinue Google Reader and so people were scrambling to switch to another RSS reader. Many switched to Feedly a good RSS reader that was free at the time, and still has a free version for the web, IOS and android. The pay version has many improvements and  they keep adding more and more improvements.

Here is a copy of my Feedly screen, I have folders for Gene Societies, Genealogy, Google, Home and Garden, Libraries, Neighborhoods, Newspapers, Pictures, Rootsweb, Transportation and Work. I have about 350 blogs in Feedly, most post weekly or even less except for the newspapers which post about 60 articles a day, so I get about 25 or 30 articles a day from all the rest of my Feedly feeds.

Using Feedly I can read the Monday Mystery and Tuesday Trivia the same day they are posted, and I am the only one using Feedly to read the WSGS blog as of today.

There are other RSS readers besides Feedly, just Google RSS Readers.

Monday’s Mystery

by Charles Hansen

At a recent conference in Vancouver, Washington, the theme was “Layers of History” and meaning along the final hundred miles or so of the Columbia River. The first session addressed The Great Ice Age Floods (also known as the Missoula Floods) and I learned just how the cataracts in the coulee areas of central Washington were carved or created. So the mystery question today for you is: HOW were the Dry Falls created? By what term is the process known?  (You perhaps have been to the Dry Falls State Park when going on Hwy 2 between Spokane and Wenatchee?)

And a double delicious WSGS cupcake to Sonji Rutan of the Eastern Washington Gen Society in Spokane. Here’s her comment about Black Pudding:  Isn’t this the same as ‘blood pudding’? I’ve tried it and don’t care for it, but then today’s pallets are perhaps more sophisticated or spoiled then our ancestors.

The above picture may look a teeny bit enticing but NOWAY today. Black Pudding as made from animal blood, mixed with animal fat and then flour, oats, wheat, or whatever grain-thickening they had.

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –   FREE 5 DAY CONFERENCE

The  folks at FamilySearch.org are putting on a  five day conference that you can attend for free!  Even better than that, you have the choice of traveling to Salt Lake City, UT to attend in person, or you may attend the online webinar version from the comfort of your home.

Although the conference is free, space is limited and registration is required for either mode of attendance, so sign up soon.  Don’t miss out.

The Western European Family History Conference 2017 that runs May 15-19 will cover, as it names suggests, genealogical research advice for the countries of Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Class details, more information, and registration can be found at : https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Western_European_Family_History_Conference

Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

In the mail…
 SGS 2017 Spring Seminar
“Voices From the Past” Brochures

SGS is excited, honored, and very fortunate to be hosting Lisa Alzo as speaker for the 2017 Spring Seminar “Voices from the Past”.  Lisa is an internationally recognized teacher and lecturer, specializing in Eastern European ancestry, writing your family history, and using the Internet to trace female and immigrant ancestors. She is the author of eleven books and hundreds of magazine articles, including regular articles in Family Tree Magazine.  Fill out the registration form in your seminar brochure right away and get ready to enjoy a fascinating series of lectures by one of genealogy’s prominent teachers.

For more details, or if you prefer to register online, visit :

http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/2017-spring-seminar

VOLUNTEER NEEDED / WORK FROM HOME

SGS is in need of a volunteer to manage the assignment of desk volunteers for the library.  If you’d like, you may work remotely. As Elizabeth Howie, temporary Desk Volunteer Coordinator, states, “This is a very easy job because so many individuals are already committed to helping out on many of the days of the month.”

Usually, the only days to fill are Friday and Saturday — about 8 slots which are filled from a candidate pool of 35 willing individuals. Communication is done via emails and then you’ll coordinate with  the desk volunteer to make sure the assignment calendar is updated so everyone knows their shift.  If you are a “stay at home” type person, but would like to help SGS, please contact Jill Morelli at sgspresident@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org

SO LONG, FAREWELL, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, ADIEU….

Lou Daly , founder and fearless leader of the Mac SIG Group at Fiske Library, has announced that the meeting this coming Wednesday will be the final meeting for this group that has been in existence for ten plus years. Come join in one last time. The discussion will be “What’s Next?” Wednesday, April 19th , 7:00-9:00 pm, Pioneer Hall (Fiske Library),1644 43rd Ave E, Seattle 98112

SAVE THE DATES

O Canada: Children of a Common Mother
 Heritage Weekend and Genealogy Seminar
 in the Skagit Valley
 Friday thru Sunday, April 21-23, 2017

The Skagit Valley Genealogical Society invites you to enjoy a special heritage weekend.  The O Canada theme is in honor of Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation coming up July 1.

You can find more information, the flyer, and online registration at:

www.SkagitValleyGenealogy.org

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society,
 Spring Seminar featuring Jay Fonkert,
 7809 Tieton Dr,
 Yakima, WA 98908
 Saturday, April 22, 2017   8am – 5pm

Jay Fonkert is one of America’s foremost genealogists.  To register, or read more about his credentials and the seminar, visit the YVGS website www.yvgs.net  and follow the links.

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society –  Spring Seminar
 La Quinta Inn and Suites,
 1425 East 27th St,
 Tacoma, WA
 April 28-29, 2017

Speaker will be  The Legal Genealogist,  Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL and the emcee will be Cyndi Ingle. Some of the topics will be :

•No Vitals? No Problem! — Building a Family through Circumstantial Evidence

•When Worlds Collide: Resolving Conflicts in Genealogical Records

•Don’t Forget the Ladies — A Genealogist’s Guide to Women and the Law

•Beyond X and Y: The Promise and Pitfalls of Autosomal DNA Testing

Additional Information available on the TPCGS website at: http://www.tpcgs.org/seminar.html

Genealogical Forum of Oregon in Portland,
Spring Seminar With John Colletta,
 April 29

Four sessions on Passenger Arrival Records, Naturalization Records, Lesser-used Federal Records, and Discovering the REAL Stories on Your Immigrant Ancestors. For online registration :

https://gfoorg.presencehost.net/learn/seminars.html

Seattle Genealogical Society Spring Seminar,
 “Voices from the Past” with Lisa Alzo,
 Fairview Christian Church
 844 NE 78th St
 Seattle, WA
 Saturday, May 20, 2017   9am – 4pm

Doors open at 8am – welcome at 9am. Did you receive the brochure in the mail? Registration and further information also available online at www.seattlegenealogicalsociety.org

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 library will be closed April 16 for Easter and May 27-29 for Memorial Day.

APRIL

Saturday, April 15, 10:15am – 12:15 pm, Irish Interest Group, with Jean Roth who will present “Who are the Scots-Irish?”

Saturday, April 15, 1:00 pm  – 3:00 pm, German Interest Group, with Jean Roth who will present “What is Prussia and Who are the Prussians?”

Sunday, April 16,  EASTER , library will be closed.

Tuesday, April 18, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Bring your laptop or mobile device, and enjoy discussions centered around technology and genealogy – software, genetic genealogy, internet research and more.  Hosted by Lisa Chan.

Wednesday, April 19, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Mac SIG Meeting,  Jointly sponsored by SGS, Fiske, and dBug, this group met quarterly on the third Wednesday of every third month at the Fiske Genealogical Library in Madison Park, 1644 43rd Ave E, Seattle. The group is folding and this will be the final meeting.

MAY

Tuesday, May 2, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Bring your laptop or mobile device, and enjoy discussions centered around technology and genealogy – software, genetic genealogy, internet research and more.  Hosted by Lisa Chan.

Saturday, May 6, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Canadian SIG, David Robert, leader
Saturday, May 6, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Family Tree Interest Group, Lou Daly, leader of this new special interest group exploring all the features of the tool Family Tree on FamilySearch

Sunday, May 7, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, Led by Cary Bright with first hour on a specific topic, and the second hour open for sharing DNA issues with focus on GenomeMate Pro.

Saturday, May 13, 10:15am – 12:15 pm, Irish Interest Group, with Jean Roth, an open session on Irish research using old and new resources

Saturday, May 13, 1:00 pm  – 3:00 pm, German Interest Group, with Jean Roth, an open session on German research using old and new resources

Tuesday, May 16, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, DNA FOCUS, Bring your laptop or mobile device, and enjoy discussions centered around technology and genealogy – software, genetic genealogy, internet research and more.  Hosted by Lisa Chan.

Friday, May 19, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Beginning Genealogy, Want to learn how to get your genealogy project going? Linda Fitzgerald, a past president of SGS,  will be presenting her “Beginning Genealogy Class”. Add it to your calendar.  Invite a friend.

Saturday, May 20, 9:00 am  – 4:00 pm, SGS Spring Seminar “Voices from the Past”, featuring: Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A., a freelance writer, instructor, and internationally recognized lecturer. At Fairview Christian School, 844 NE 78th Street,Seattle, WA  Doors open at 8:00 a.m. – Welcome at 9:00 a.m.

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!

SGS members, be sure to cast your ballot for the Seattle Genealogical Society 2017 Election.  Then either mail it back in the envelope provided or return it in person. Remember only ballots received by 3:00 pm, Saturday, April 29, 2017 will be counted.

Cemetery Visit in Cuba

by Roxanne Lowe

Do you visit random cemeteries in cities you visit? I do, and I’m sure it’s not that unusual. (Uh…it isn’t unusual, is it???)

I recently completed an amazing trip to Cuba and just had to stop at this small cemetery near the Bay of Pigs. Monuments and stones were weathered; some above ground, others not. A very reverent place.