THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News 18 January 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 January 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 our new website (still gfo.org).
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The German Interest Group of The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Friday, February 3, 2017, from 1 to 3 pm in the Relief Society Room of the LDS Church at 10675 NE 20thSt, Bellevue, WA 98004 with doors opening at 12:45 pm for networking. For more information, kindly visit our website at https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com/ . Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.
Topic: “What I Wish I Had Known . . . before I started researching my ancestors. Members of our group will share their experiences and lessons learned researching their Germanic ancestors, about citing their sources, the importance of locating original documentation, the confusion of multiple marriages, the need for continuous learning, researching extended family, the importance of understanding law, the importance of location, the importance of siblings and understanding time periods. Come learn from experienced genealogists sharing their adventures.
Olympia Genealogical Society’s spring seminar will be Saturday, April 8 at Capital Event Center, Tumwater WA
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN see notice and form at our website ( http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~waogs )
Seminar Brochure and Registration Form 2017seminarbrochure
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THANK YOU Joyce Ogden, publicity
Joyce T. Ogden jtogden@comcast.net
According to a recent press release, the Washington State Library in Tumwater will change its public access policies beginning 01 Feb.
The changes include:
The State Library will continue to offer reference assistance weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the “Ask a Librarian” live chat, e-mail at https://www.sos.wa.gov/library/ask.aspx or by phone at 360-704-5200.
The State Library, part of the Office of Secretary of State, is located at 6880 Capitol Blvd. in Tumwater.
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized almost 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 2016 award recipients and learn why they received the 2016 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.
Rebecca Judd
Today we’re introducing Rebecca Judd from the Bainbridge Island Branch of the Kitsap Regional Library. Rebecca was nominated by the Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS). She was recognized for her long-standing and consistent support of BIGS.
Ms. Judd is the manager of the Bainbridge Island Branch of the Kitsap Regional Library, where BIGS holds most of its meetings. Ms. Judd worked with library staff to refer genealogical research questions to BIGS throughout the year. She partnered with BIGS to host an open house for three consecutive years to celebrate Family History month, encouraging members of the public to come to the library to spend time with a BIGS mentor.
Last year, Ms. Judd suggested a partnership with BIGS for a “Book-a-Genealogist” program for Family History month where members of the public could schedule time to meet with a BIGS mentor at the library during the month. Ms. Judd and her staff managed publicity, referred calls and helped arrange meeting spaces.
Ms. Judd’s commitment to a continued partnership with BIGS to educate the public about genealogy prove she richly deserved being a recipient of a 2016 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, Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.
The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, February 9, 2017 in the Bellevue Regional Library (Room 1), 1111 – 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 at 7 pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm for networking.
Topic: WikiTree is a free, shared social networking genealogy website that allows users individually to research and contribute to their own personal family trees, while building and collaborating on a singular worldwide family tree within the same system. Come learn about this useful website.
Also see our website for FREE genealogical help and other Special Interest Group meetings. Visitors are always welcome at all meetings. www.eastsidegenealogicalsociety.com
Tip of the Week – DNA Help
Have you read the latest DNA book by Blaine Bettinger and Debbie Wayne Parker, “Genetic Genealogy in Practice”? This is a workbook that provides step-by-step help in working with you DNA results. Each chapter includes exercises with answer keys for hands-on practice.
Another good resource is “Watch Geoff Live: DNA”, a Legacy Software Webinar by Diahan Southard and Geoff Rasmussen. Diahan previously spoke on DNA at SGS.
Tag along as Diahan and Geoff look for the first time at Geoff’s DNA results and use it to solve a brick wall problem. It’s elementary and very useful in (a) what to look for and (b) how much information you can actually extract from the data. While not free, you will find it for a small fee at http://familytreewebinars.com/download.php?webinar_id=447
BOARD CERTIFICATION DISCUSSION GROUP
Last Chance to sign up! What is the process for becoming a certified genealogist? Join a facilitated discussion group to discuss the portfolio requirements, the process, and why apply at all! SGS members given priority. Cost is free. Contact Jill Morelli at jkmorelli@gmail.com for more information.
DON’T YOU HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS?
YOU CAN CALL FIRST
It’s unfortunate, but occasionally due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances, and with very little notice, the SGS Library may be closed during its normal hours of operation of Tuesday thru Saturday 10am-3pm and Sunday 1pm-5pm.
Now you can call first to check the status. SGS has a new phone system and has established a procedure that all unforeseen closures will be announced on an outgoing phone message. So you are invited to call the Library at 206.522.8658 before heading out.
Recently received a Tip Sheet from kinhunters@gmail.com about problems with finding people in the Washington State Death index on microfilm. The problem she talked about was with names that started with Mc. Was the “c” included in the soundex code or not for the name? I actually used that index so much that I don’t even go to the cheat sheet to see how the letters were coded anymore. I had read that you need to look both ways on names like Mc or Mac. Names that start with O’ or Van or Von may have been coded with or without the O’, Van or Von. So O’Connor may be soundexed as O256 or C560! Van Dorn may have been soundexed as V536 or D650.
Ancestry bought those same microfilms and with OCR posted the Washington Death Index in Ancestry, but they missed bunches of people. Was it a problem with the soundex code? I don’t think so, as they used the actual names of people. I know they missed one whole microfilm and I guess because the 1920-1929 microfilm is very hard to read. Ancestry also missed bunches of people in the 1950s. Why? This is my theory, if you look at the microfilms the earlier years used a two column field for the death month, so 01, 02, …, 11,12. But in the 1950s they switched to a single column, so 1,2,3,…,9,O,N,D. Now any person reading that can see October, November and December, but did the OCR software looking for a number in that field see a number or did it skip those people?
Years ago the Washington State Digital archives was looking for some Washington databases to index and I suggested that Family Search had the Washington State death certificates on microfilm from 1907 through 1960, and that would be a great database to index. Family Search sent the archives a copy of those death certificates and volunteers indexed those death certificates from the actual death certificates, not by copying the soundex index the state had done. When the death certificate index was done the death certificates went online at the digital archives. A few days later they disappeared and a note on how to get a certified copy from the state appeared on each entry in the index. That same index done by Washington State volunteers is on Family Search now and Family Search added the film and image number for everyone in that index, so you could order the correct microfilm from Salt Lake City to get a copy of a death certificate. That was great as Spokane and Spokane County, Yakima and Yakima county death certificates were on different microfilms, so which one to order was hard to figure out.
In the August 2016 Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week they show how to find that death certificate online in the Family Search Catalog.
( http://wp.wasgs.org/2016/08/01/seattle-genealogical-society-tip-of-the-week-28/ )
The next Northeast Washington Genealogical Society meetings are on Wednesday, February 8, 2017. The morning Computer Interest Group (CIG) will meet in the basement meeting room of the LDS Church on Juniper Street in Colville at 10:30 AM. Entry is located at the back of the building. The building is located one block east of the South Main Restaurant on Hwy 395.
Sue Richart, long-time NeWGS member and frequent presenter will share information she has gleaned from “The WPA Historical Records Survey: A Guide to the Unpublished Inventories, Indexes, and Transcripts” which began in 1936. During its existence, the HRS produced thirty-four publications for Washington State. Sue will explain the impact the Historical Records Survey had on where material ended up and why it may have genealogical significance for researchers in all states.
We will take a lunch break at noon and then meet again in the LDS Lower Meeting Room at 1:30 p.m.
For our afternoon session Don McConnell, a NeWGS favorite Civil War historian will come and speak on a unique project he has been working on. Specifically he will share about resources that have recently become available on-line regarding deserters from the US Army to Confederate forces in Texas.
All visitors are welcome. You do not need to be a member to attend the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society’s meetings.