Cynthia Savage Harris Awarded 2016 Outstanding Volunteer Honor

by Roxanne Lowe

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.

Cynthia Savage Harris

Today we’re introducing Cynthia Savage Harris, of Bellingham, Washington, who was nominated by the Whatcom Genealogical Society (WGS). She was recognized for sharing her tireless and innovative energies to educate the local society’s members and those interested in genealogy.

Using her innovative resourcefulness as education chair, Ms. Harris has produced educational and entertaining programs for the local society’s meetings for the past four years. She has also been in the forefront of organizing their annual genealogical conference. The programs have helped the WCGS grow by attracting many new members.

Ms. Harris’s pleasant attitude and dedication to the WGS’s projects are appreciated by all its members, and 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.

Tuesday Trivia….. Story from Virginia Majewski

by Charles Hansen

A Washingtonian in Tennessee Looking for Kin by Virginia Majewski.

On a recent trip to visit my daughter and grandchildren living in Knoxville, Tennessee, I made time to do some research.  I found the East Tennessee History Center.  This archive is located in the heart of old downtown Knoxville at 601 Gay Street.    The History Center is a lovely old building with marble floors, high ceilings and old art hanging on the walls.  The first floor houses a gift shop and a museum, which is well worth the price of admission.  The second floor holds the archives of Knox County.  The third floor houses the McClung Historical Collection and is a genealogists’ paradise.  While the McClung Historical Collection specializes in records of Eastern Tennessee, it contains records from all over Tennessee and the South East and so much more.  All total this archive has over 75,000 books, 3,000+ printed genealogies, over 19,000 rolls of microfilm, city and phone directories, Native American and African American records, the “First Families of Tennessee” collection, old maps, photographs and much, much more.  One room alone is dedicated to information from all the counties in Tennessee and the room is huge!

Before visiting, check their website for information and the catalog of their collections, www.easttnhistory.org .  Ask for help when you arrive.  Be aware, no pictures may be taken or use of scanners of any kind are allowed.  You must check all your belongings into a locker when you enter.  Your papers must be submitted for examination before you leave.   Located ½ block from Market Square, many eateries are nearby when you are ready for a break.  Street parking is very limited, however there are two pay to park lots within a block.   If you have any Tennessee kin, you need to visit this archive.  Tell them Ginny from Sequim sent you.                                                      

 

Tri-City Gen Society News

by Charles Hansen

If you like history, you don’t want to miss this TCGS meeting on 11 Jan 2017 Come to the Tri-City Genealogical Society at the Benton County PUD 7:00 PM — 2721 W 10th Ave — Kennewick WA Robert Franklin presents an overview of the history of Hanford

The Hanford Site (also called Hanford Project, Hanford Works, Hanford Engineer Works and Hanford Nuclear Reservation) is a mostly decommissioned nuclear production complex operated by the U.S. federal government on the Columbia River. Established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project in the town of Hanford in south-central Washington State, the site was home to the B Reactor, the first full-scale plutonium production reactor in the world.

Speaker:  Robert Franklin is Assistant Director; Archivist and Director of the Hanford Oral History Project.

Jefferson County Gen Society News

by Charles Hansen

GRANDPA’S SOCK DRAWER  —  January 2017 Meeting!

The monthly meeting of the Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) hosts seasoned genealogist Rod Fleck as January’s guest speaker. His topic is “Military Research: That medal/picture/pin in Grandpa’s sock drawer”. Fleck says, “There’s more than one way to learn about the military experience of your recent ancestor. If you don’t have letters or diaries, online sites can help you piece together the story. I’ll be explaining how to be successful in finding what you need.” The presentation will focus on utilizing Google, Fold3.com, Ancestry.com, the National Archive’s Online Databases, and other websites.  Please feel free to bring that medal, photo, pin, or “veteran bring back” that is in your family that you are unsure about.

The public is welcome to attend JCGS ‘no fee’ meeting, though donations are gratefully accepted. Join JCGS members at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 West Valley Rd in Chimacum on Saturday, January 21, 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. “meet and greet”; 10:00 – 11:30 brief announcements and speaker presentation. Visit JCGS website www.wajcgs.org for more information.

Rod Fleck has been the City Attorney and Planner for the City of Forks for nearly 20 years.  In that role, he handles issues ranging from annexations to criminal prosecutions to forest policy issues to zoning applications.  In 1991, he obtained a B.A. in History from the University of Washington and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa that same year.  He has a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.

He lead the Seattle Genealogical Society’s German Interest Group for a decade and has given numerous presentations on German genealogy.  He was the Camp Organizer for the Governor Isaac Stevens Camp No. 1 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.  In 2015, he was elected as the first Department of the Columbia of the SUVCW.  He is also the President of the Augustan Society that specializes in history, heraldry, genealogy and nobility.  In 2012 and 2013, he was the lead author of an article published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Society’s Register covering the life of Sampson Dunbar and His Family, the focus of our presentation today.

 

Kittitas County Gen Society News

by Charles Hansen

 

For our Monday January 9th meeting program, I am asking all attendees to bring a small sheet of paper or 3×5 card with your name and ONE genealogical item you will resolve to search for in 2017. Even those not able to attend might want to do this.

 

Maybe you will choose something like “find great-grandma Smith’s father’s name”, or “when was Great-grandpa Brown born”, perhaps “find the will of Great-uncle William”. Just ONE goal for the year. Hopefully, that will get us each moving forward on our research for 2017. We will share what we want to search for and why we want to find this (requests for ideas of where to look may be made), then I will collect the sheets/cards which we will use again late in the year to check our progress!

 

See you at the January meeting!

Lynn Blazek

 

 

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

Tip of the Week – Legacy Family Tree Webinars 2017

A webinar is an online seminar/class that you watch from your computer. All you need is an internet connection and speakers. If you are watching a live presentation, you may also be able to type in questions for the presenter.

What is the cost? Here’s the great thing at Legacy Family Tree Webinars, there is no charge to register and view a live webinar! If you cannot make the live event, recordings are usually available to watch for free during the 7 days immediately following the live event!

After that time period, webinars are available to download for $9.95 each, or as part of a monthly or annual membership. At the beginning of 2017, there will be more than 450 classes in their webinar library.

Check out the list of upcoming Legacy Family Tree Webinars or the titles in their webinar library at :

Homepage

Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

“THERE ARE SEVEN DAYS IN THE WEEK and
SOMEDAY ISN’T ONE OF THEM” – unknown

The beginning of a new year is often the time people take stock of their lives, their habits, and their goals. If there is one regret I have in my genealogical research journey, it’s that I didn’t begin sooner, when my grandparents were still alive. What a wealth of knowledge I missed out on.

So NOW would be the time to interview your oldest living relatives.  Go through all those old family photos with them. Document and label who’s who. You’ve been meaning to visit elderly Aunt Minnie, right? Schedule that activity SOON. Listen to her family stories, ask questions about the family history, and write it down.  Is there a family Bible or family memorabilia?  Who has possession of them?  These are a few frequently asked questions.

Another thing is, with the advent of DNA testing, experts now recommend you test your oldest generation while you still can.  Get these things on your schedule. Better sooner than later; don’t delay.

SGS RECEIVES NEW TWO-YEAR GRANT
 FROM 4CULTURE

SGS’s application for a two-year Heritage Sustained Support grant from 4Culture has been approved. We’ll receive $3,500 per year in 2017 and 2018. Since membership dues cover less than 40% of SGS’s overhead expenses each year, these grants are vital to us.  We’ve received such grants annually since 2010.

4Culture is a tax-exempt public development authority (PDA) run by King County. Their mission is to make our region stronger by supporting citizens and groups who preserve our shared heritage, and create arts and cultural opportunities for residents and visitors.  A portion of Lodging Tax revenues collected in King County provides all of the funding for the Heritage grants.

WANTED – PAST ISSUES OF SGS NEWSLETTER

SGS Plans to digitize all past issues of the SGS Bulletin and the SGS Newsletter and place them on the website.

We’re missing issues of the Newsletter and want to make the collection complete. Contact Reiley Kidd at: secretary@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org if you have issues you can loan or give to SGS for this project.

“Black Sea German Ancestors” lecture  at SGS by
 Carolyn Schott, author and travel blogger
JANUARY 22, 1:00 P.M.

Carolyn Schott, a lifelong traveler, has visited Germany, Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary, and Poland in pursuit of her family heritage. Along the way, she’s sampled Zwiebelkuchen (onion tart) at a German village festival; hiked through rural cemeteries with a broken foot; and found herself in a protest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her talk will describe how she’s located her ancestral towns and made the most of opportunities to visit them.

A native of Seattle, Carolyn Schott has been actively involved in researching her Black Sea German ancestors for about 20 years. Her book, “Yes You! Yes Now! Visiting Your Ancestral Town”, is designed to help others learn from her experiences. Carolyn is one of the founders of the Black Sea German Research Community (www.blackseagr.org). She belongs to a number of genealogy societies that focus on German in Eastern Europe, and she was formerly a board member of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS) and editor of the GRHS Heritage Review.

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 SGS Library is closed from Saturday, December 24th through Monday, January 2nd.

JANUARY

Tuesday, January 3, 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, January 7, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Canadian SIG, David Robert, leader

Sunday, January 8, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, Scandinavian  Interest Group, at this meeting Kathi McGinnis will be demonstrating several tools for researching your Norwegian ancestors – come see demonstrations of Digitalarkivet, DIS-Norge, Norgeskart, and Norway Heritage.

Saturday, January 14,  1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Family Tree Maker Users Group,  members helping one another with FTM,  led by Reiley Kidd and Betty Ravenholt; email Reiley at secretary@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org  for more info.

Tuesday, January 17,  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 January 18,  7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Mac Computer Interest Group, sponsored jointly by SGS, Fiske, and dBug, meets quarterly at the Fiske Genealogical Library, 1644 43rd Ave E, Seattle.  This group addresses topics useful to users of MacIntosh (Apple) computers and the Reunion genealogy program. Email Lou Daly at loudaly@nwlink.com or Diane Hettrick at dhettrick@earthlink.net with questions.

Saturday, January 21, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Irish Interest Group, an open session on Irish research using old and new resources   Leader: Jean A. Roth

Saturday, January 21, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, German Interest Group, an open session on German research using old and new resources   Leader: Jean A. Roth

Sunday, January 22, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Carolyn Schott, world traveler and author of “Visiting Your Ancestral Town”, a result of her passion for genealogy and travel, wants to share with you how to get the most out of a trip to explore your family roots. See featured article above for more info on Carolyn and her lecture.

Saturday, January 28, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm, the DNA Interest Group meets quarterly at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8805 35th Ave NE, Seattle. For information contact SGSDNASIG@gmail.com  Co-chaired by Cary Bright and Herb McDaniel.

Clark County Genealogical Society Book Mending Workshop

by Charles Hansen


BOOK MENDING WORKSHOP
A Half Day workshop has been scheduled for Book Mending.
January 16, 2017      10am-2pm in the Annex.
If you missed the last workshop, please come anyway and we will teach you. You’ll learn how to spot a needed mend before it becomes a repair.  Let’s preserve our Library collection. Led by Linda Dawson.
If you want to see what we are doing log onto  gaylord.com  click resources then Preservation  and ope the pdf  Bookcraft repair manual.

LIBRARY CLOSURES
If you are planning a trip to the library on a day with bad weather, please call the library before you leave home to make sure they are open.  360 750-5688

NEWSPAPER CONTRIBUTIONS TO CCGS
If you have contributed newspapers to CCGS for clipping during the past year, please send an email to Dolly Merrick and Lethene Parks, so you can be recognized for your contributions. Thank you.
Lethene:   lethene @ comcast.net
Dolly:       dolly_m1 @ yahoo.com

LEGACY USERS GROUP
The Legacy group needs a new leader.  They meet on Mondays from 10-12.  If you are interested, please send an email to:
gensoc@ccgs-wa.org

Bainbridge Island Gen Society News

by Charles Hansen

The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) will meet Friday, January 20, 2017, at the LDS church on Bainbridge Island, 8677 Madison Avenue, from 10:00 am – 12 Noon.  This will be a meeting for brainstorming to develop our New Year’s Resolution for Genealogy.  We will be collaborating to come up with new ideas to use to enhance and advance our research.  This is a very good time to visit if you are interested in becoming a member.  Come and be inspired!  Free to members, a $5.00 donation is suggested for nonmembers.  For more information go to http://www.bigenealogy.org, or call 206-842-4978.  BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.

 

Thank you!  Sylvia H. Nelson,  Director of Publicity and Public Relations Bainbridge Island, Genealogical Society