Serendipity Day

** Tibetan Dress Customs

** Why You Might Not Find Your Ancestor’s Grave

** Egyptian Genealogy

** Was Your Ancestor a German Redemptioner?

From the book, Seven Years in Tibet, by Heinrich Harrer, who lived in Tibet in the 1940s and 1950s and wrote his famous book in 1982. And was turned into a great movie with Brad Pitt! I learned so much about the Tibetan people from enjoying this book and could have copied out endless bits for you but will settle on this one….just in case you might have Tibetan ancestor:

Tibean

“(Now spring had come). The season of sandstorms was over, and the peach trees were in blossom. On the neighboring peaks, the last remnants of the snow shone blindly white in the warm sunshine. One day the summer season was officially declared to have begun, and the summer clothes might be worn. One had no right to leave off one’s furs when one wanted to. Every year, after considerations of the omens, a day was fixed on which the notables and monks put on summer dress. The weather might have been very warm or snowstorms might follow. That did not matter. Summer dress must be work from that date only. The same thing happens in autumn, when winter dress is officially resumed. I continually used to hear complaints that the changeover had come too coon or too late and that people were stifling hot or half frozen.”

Continue reading →

Heritage Quest Research Library Upcoming Classes

Sep4 by Charles Hansen

hqrl_logo

Upcoming Classes for Heritage Quest Research Library

September – November 2016

Tuesday, September 13^th 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. $15.00 “Capturing Our Stories: Using Artifacts and Photos as Writing Prompts,” with Janet O’Conor Camarata

Family artifacts and photographs each come with a story or a memory. Learn an easy way to use photos and artifacts to write short, simple essays, profiles, narratives or descriptions. Each story can be shared with family and friends, by email or print, individually or compiled into a collection later or as a digital story.

Wednesday, September 21th, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. FREE “Beginning Family History Research,” with Dee Haviland Fournier

Join Dee in a FREE class and learn about Heritage Quest Research Library (HQRL). This class will help you in the search for your ancestors, by learning how to find and use birth, marriage, and death records, along with a discussion on how to use census records to further your research and some genealogy hints. Everyone is welcome and you may attend as many times as you like.

Continue reading →

Skagit Valley Genealogy Society Basic Genealogy Workshop

Sep2 by Charles Hansen

Basic Genealogy Workshop

SKAGIT VALLEY GENEALOGY SOCIETY

LeftSidePicsTrans-1
The Burlington Public Library, has agreed to allow SVGS to use their facilities for a series of classes for people who want to learn how to get started in researching their personal family history.

Beginning this coming October, SVGS will present a workshop consisting of four 2-hr classes covering topics of “How to begin?”, “How to organize your materials?”, “How to find information that has been hidden from you for years?” These workshops will not be just a series of lectures. Each presentation will be a hands on journey in researching your family history. Emphasis will be on precise detective-like procedures to find the information needed to complete the puzzle of “Who do you think you are?” These classes will be held on a Saturday from 10 am to Noon on October 1, 8, 15 and 22.

If you are interested, simply click the PayPal link on the sidebar. Or you can download and print a flyer describing the classes and a registration application. Complete the registration and mail it in with check or money order for the correct amount to the address listed below or you can drop it off just before class.

The cost is $50.00 for all 4 classes if registered by September 26th. Registration will be $60 after that date. Walk-ins at the library are welcomed as long as seating is available. Individual lessons are $15.00 for each class.

Workshop Flyer and Registration form
Workshop-File-Download

SVGS
Attn: Class Registration
P.O. Box 722
Mount Vernon, WA 98273-0722

Don’t miss this opportunity to begin your “family history research” in earnest. You will learn a lot and you will meet many people who can help you on your family discovery journey. Anyone from Skagit county and surrounding areas are invited to attend. The seating spaces for the library is limited, so don’t wait to register.

In order to register early and be put on our early bird list, we are asking you to voluntarily complete the following form. This information will be directly emailed to our registration coordinator. Your early place on the list will be confirmed as long as you make payment prior to September 26th. You will also have to complete the printed application with payment or the PayPal selection in the sidebar. Thank you for your purchase.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

First & Last Name (required)

Email Address (required)

Today’s Date?
REGISTRATION DETAILS

Fee Type:
Before Sept 26: $50 for all 4 classes After Sept 26: $60 for all 4 classes Individual: $15 per class

Class Choice:
Note: If you chose Individual: $15 per class, you need to select which date you want to attend.

10-1-2016 Introduction and Forms

10-8-2016 Sources, Primary and Secondary

10-15-2016 Organization, DNA, Software

10-22-2016 Evidence and Evaluation

Serendipity Day

Sep2 by Charles Hansen

** Civil War Tombstones: A Quick Primer

** What Is A Source? Definition from James Tanner

** Local Little Societies Are A Goldmine!

** MyHeritage: Do Check It Out

Civil War Tombstones: A Quick Primer….. thank you to Dick Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter and Amy Johnson Crow.

What is the difference between a Union and a Confederate tombstone? Amy Johnson Crow gives the answer in a short, but interesting, article in her blog at http://goo.gl/jGKMhc. (Copy and paste this address to access Amy’s good article.)

***************************************

What is a source? One dictionary definition is so vague as to be meaningless: “a place, person, or thing from which something comes or can be obtained.” See Google search for “define source.”

A source is the identity and location concerning where you got the information you are using.

That isn’t very artfully said but genealogists are talking about sources being reliable or unreliable. A source is a source. If I got my information from a book in the local public library, the citation information about the book and the place where I found it constitute the “source” of my information. Any questions about the accuracy, reliability or whatever of the information have nothing whatsoever to do with the “source.” If I think your information is wrong or unreliable and you provide me with a source, I can go an check to see whether or not you are correct. Absent a source, I have to guess where you might have gotten the information and from my perspective, I have to assume, since you did not tell me where you got your information, that the information is unreliable and quite likely wrong. When people say a “source” is unreliable, what they really mean is that the information obtained from the source is unreliable.

James Tanner Genealogy’s Star 5 Dec 2015

*******************************************

I’ve beaten on this drum before but it bears repeating: There is gold in them there little historical societies and museums. Here is a peek through the window of the Coulee City Pioneer Museum………just look at all the potential “good stuff” on those shelves. Maybe you don’t need help in Coulee City……….but what about Waterville? Chelan? Hillyard? Uniontown? Gray’s Harbor? Friday Harbor? Here’s the rule: If you need local help, go there! Virtually, of course, but in person is great too.

***********************************

I’ve been getting plenty of news, updates and information from MyHeritage and I thought I’d share some of it with you all. This website, and what is offered there, is just getting better and better and better.

MyHeritage

Way back in February 2016 MyHeritage announced Family Tree Builder 8.0. This new version of their popular FREE software allows you to sync your tree with MyHeritage and use all their wonderful features. Wow.

Back in April 2016 they announced Super Search. This is a MyHeritage search engine that searches for matches to your family tree within their databases (of about 7,000,000,000 records…..that’s 7 billion!). Wow.

Also in April they announced Book Matching. This automatically finds matches for your people in your family tree on MyHeritage in their vast collection of some 450,000 digitized historical books. Wow.

In May they announced MyHeritage Community. This feature is a Q&A hub on the MyHeritage website created to help their 8,000,000 registered users to collaborate and help each other with any family history related question. Wow.

In June they announced Sun Charts. This is an innovative new family tree chart for visualizing descendants in your family tree. It is as you would guess, names radiating out in all direction like the sun’s rays. Wow.

Then just a month ago in July, MyHeritage announced Pedigree Map. This is an innovative way to visualize your Family history by plotting events from your family tree (such as birth-marriage-death) along with photos on an interactive world map. Pedigree Map displays photos and events groups by country and location allowing your to easily filter it by person, family group, event and time period. Wow.

You certainly want to sign up for the MyHeritage blog! Click to blog.myheritage.com and (on the right) sign up with your email. Did I say? It’s free!

MyHeritage offers many more wonderful and helpful things and is worth the subscription price ($160 annually). For more information email sales@myheritage.com, or call 1-877-432-3135.

Tell them my friend, Mark Olsen, sends you and ask for a discount??? My mother taught me that you can ask anything you want as long as you’re polite.

Jewish Genealogical Society September Seminar

Sep1 by Charles Hansen

JewishGen

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State proudly presents:
Beyond Online: Beginning Courthouse Research
by Janice Lovelace, Ph.D.
DATE: Monday, September 12, 2016
LDS Factoria Building
4200 124th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98006
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Come enjoy our extensive JGSWS Library and Family History Center’s genealogical resources!
Presentation starts promptly at 7:15 p.m.
FREE Wi-Fi and access to fee-based genealogical websites
FREE admission and refreshments

ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
Step away from the computer to search for records that may not be digitized, but are stored in county courthouses across the country. Find out what kinds of documents you can locate from land records to court proceedings, and how that information will help your research. Using many examples, including some from her Jewish great-grandparents, Janice shares her valuable knowledge of resources and methods for researching records in courthouses.

Janice

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Janice Lovelace, Ph.D., a psychologist who recently retired from full-time college teaching in social sciences and American Cultural Studies, has over 20 years of experience in genealogical research and academic studies (Genealogy and Family History certificate at University of Washington, Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate, and ProGen). Her writing and presentations include health, genetics, ethnic minority research and courthouse research.
Janice is actively involved with her local genealogical societies and is a member of Association of Professional Genealogists, African American Genealogical and Historical Society, the Ohio Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society.
Please visit our website at http://www.jgsws.org to join or to donate to JGSWS to help support the incredible speakers and workshops we bring to you, to view library listings, download handouts, or for more information. JGSWS is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Membership dues and donations are tax deductible.
Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State
P.O. Box 53102 Bellevue WA 98015 www.jgsws.org

Janice Lovelace-JGSWS Flyer for 9-12-16

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

Sep1 by Charles Hansen

Seattle

Tip of the Week – LEGACY FAMILY TREE WEBINARS

Remember the article in the last eNews! issue about using a RSS Reader such as feedly so you will never miss updates from your favorite bloggers, vendors, and more? This week, we suggest adding the fantastic Legacy Family Tree Webinars to your feedly : familytreewebinars.com

Legacy Family Tree Webinars partners with popular presenters to produce live, interactive lectures and the majority are available to view for free for at least a week after the webinar has initially aired. Over 400 past lectures are also available on demand for just $9.95 a month or $49.95 a year.

Plus at present, in the Webinar Library: Free section, you’ll find 74 webinars available on demand, absolutely free, with no registration required: familytreewebinars.com/archived_webinars_free.php

In this free section, you’ll find the very popular “Family History for Kids” by Devin Ashby. It had 1,200 viewers at first broadcast and provides 90 minutes of inspirational suggestions to help you share the gift of family history with the young people in your life:
familytreewebinars.com/download.php?webinar_id=222

Legacy Family Tree Webinars also offers an option to add webinar broadcast dates to your Google Calendar. Google Calendars allow for alerts to be sent to your computer or through email so you can be sure to be in front of your screen at the appropriate time to participate.

Why not check it out? Coming up September 15th, at 5 pm PDT is Judy G Russell (JD, CG, CGL), known as the Legal Genealogist, presenting “The Treasure Trove in Legislative Petitions” ; remember it will be free for a week. For more info and registration – familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=366

Seattle Genealogical Society News

Sep1 by Charles Hansen

Seattle

LINDA FITZGERALD
VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER

The Board of Directors has named Linda Fitzgerald Volunteer of the Quarter (July through September) for her invaluable work as a desk volunteer, and especially for the generosity of her time these past three months when it has been so badly needed. While we often speak of the desk volunteer’s “work,” Linda describes it as “fun.” She loves doing it, is so gracious to library patrons, and has a desire to help researchers in any way she can.

Linda has served the Society at many levels, and always with the same wholehearted gusto and reliability. She has been SGS President and Past President. Her first Board position was Director of Operations, which requires a knowledge of the basic functions of the society and the space which houses it. After that, she was Director of Membership. These roles have given Linda an invaluable overview of SGS.

But her contribution to us goes beyond activities on the Board. Linda Fitzgerald has, with outstanding success, organized and coordinated a number of our association’s Seminars, which are held in the Autumn and in the Spring. These are the high points of our year and require an enormous amount of time and effort. With the same helpful spirit, she lends a hand to the more routine but still important tasks that keep SGS moving. She is currently a member of a new group that is digitizing some of our archival and other collections; and she serves on the Library Committee where she organizes and repackages the various periodicals in our library.

All the while Linda continues her own research. Her interest in genealogy, as she reports, began while looking at photographs that belonged to her paternal grandmother, who had written the first, middle, maiden and married names on the back of photographs of her mother. But on her mother-in-law’s photos, there were only the first, middle and married name. Linda knew her grandmother was intelligent, very well self-educated and very precise. Thus what her grandmother chose to write, Linda knew, was not accidental: there was a reason for it. Determining what that reason was turned out to be the first step that stirred her interest in genealogy. Linda’s research has by now, inevitably, moved back in time. Her ancestral group in Ohio, she suspects, must have dropped out of the ether into the Ohio River, whence they swam to the shore, It is, she says, the old story of “there were three brothers.” She knows the Tennessee group in her family came through the Cumberland Gap, but she is still trying to figure out where they started. So for Linda, as for so many of us, the search goes on.

SAVE THE DATE!

SGS FALL SEMINAR

October 15, 2016

“GENETIC GENEALOGY”

Presented by
Emily Aulicino,
author of Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond (2014)

Make plans now to attend the SGS Fall Seminar, “Genetic Genealogy,” on Saturday, October 15, 2016. Learn how you can break through your genealogical brick walls, how you can prove or disprove your paper trail, and why thousands are turning to genetic genealogy to supplement their family history research.

Two tracks of presentations – advanced or beginner level! Mix and match your choice of seminar presentations according to your interests or level of expertise in genetic genealogy. Advanced and beginner classes will be taught by Emily with the assistance of the SGS DNA Special Interest Group.

Speaker Emily Aulicino is the author of the recently published “Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond” and is also the Regional Coordinator for the International Society of Genetic Genealogists. Ms. Aulicino teaches genetic genealogy classes at the Genealogical Forum of Oregon (Portland) as well as weekly classes on writing childhood memories and family stories.

Seminar registration forms and online registration will be available in early September. The SGS 2016 Fall Seminar will be held at the Fairview Christian School, 844 NE 78th Street, Seattle, WA 98115. Plenty of free parking!

FALL MEMBERSHIP MEETING DATE CHANGE

Since many SGS members are interested in attending the event “Ancestry Day In Washington State” in Tacoma on Saturday, September 24th, we have postponed the SGS Fall Membership Meeting until the following Saturday, October 1st, at 1 pm. Watch for more information on our Fall Membership Meeting in the next issue of the eNews!

If you’d like more information on “Ancestry Day In Washington State”, you can find their web page at :

eventbrite.com/e/ancestry-day-in-washington-state-tickets-26178375225

T. J. STILES to SPEAK in SEATTLE

September 8, 2016

The Puget Sound Civil War Roundtable, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is pleased to announce that it will host author T. J. Stiles winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book “Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America”. Mr. Stiles will discuss the Civil War career of General George Armstrong Custer.

The event will be held on Thursday, September 8, 2016 at the China Harbor Restaurant located at 2040 Westlake Avenue North in Seattle. The program begins at 6 p.m. with social hour, dinner will be served at 7 p.m. and, Mr. Stiles’ presentation at 8 p.m.

Dinner is $21.00 and the presentation only is $5.00. Reservations can be made at : pscwrt.org/pscwrt/reservations.php
Among his many accomplishments, awards and honors, T. J. Stiles won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the 2009 National Book Award for Nonfiction.

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Unless otherwise indicated all programs will be at the SGS Library, 6200 Sand Point Way NE. Please check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be canceled or postponed due to inclement weather. The SGS Library will be closed Labor Day Weekend, September 3rd and 4th. ** Please note, the date for the Fall Membership Meeting has been changed.

SEPTEMBER

Tuesday, September 6, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology, Bring your laptop or mobile device, visit with other members and learn from each other while working on your family history. Discuss current projects, hardware, software, organizing data, and technology trends in genealogy.

Sunday, September 11, 1:30 pm – 3:30pm, Scandinavian SIG, at this meeting leader, Karen Knudson, will talk about her trip to Norway & Sweden; followed by discussion and Q&A.

Tuesday, September 13, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology

Saturday, September 17, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Irish Interest Group, Leader: Jean A. Roth

Saturday, September 17, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, German Interest Group, Leader: Jean A. Roth

Tuesday, September 20, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology

Tuesday, September 27, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology

OCTOBER

Saturday, October 1, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, Canadian Interest Group, Leader: David Robert

Saturday, October 1, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, Fall Membership Meeting **

Tuesday, October 4, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology

Sunday, October 9, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, Scandinavian SIG, with leader, Karen Knudson

Tuesday, October 11, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology

SAVE THE DATES

September 23rd-25th
The Kelowna & District Genealogical Society’s (KDGS)
“Harvest Your Family Tree” Conference 2016
Kelowna, BC, Canada
More info and registration at: kdgsconference2016.blogspot.ca
SGS member Mary Kircher Roddy is also speaking at this conference.

September 23rd-24th
“Ancestry Days in Washington State”
Greater Tacoma Convention Center
1500 Broadway
Tacoma, WA 98402

The Office of the Secretary of State and the Washington State Historical Society are partnering with Ancestry to bring a very special genealogical event to the Pacific Northwest. Ancestry Day in Washington will be held in Tacoma on Saturday, September 24, and is expected to attract more than 1,000 family historians. Whether you are a new subscriber to Ancestry, an experienced genealogist, or just interested in finding out what genealogy is all about, this is the event for you! Activities on September 23 will be held at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma and will include access to the museum and special presentations on outstanding genealogical resources in Washington. On Saturday, September 24, Ancestry will take center stage at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center. They will be bringing their expertise, engaging speakers, door prizes, and Ancestry DNA kits to purchase. There also will be vendors from around the state sharing their products and ideas.
Registration opens in late July. Stay tuned for more information. For more details, see:
wasgs.org/blog/2016/07/07/ancestry-day-coming-soon/

September 24th, 10am – 12pm
“Save Your Photos Day”,
Mercer Island Community Center,
8236 SE 24th Street,
Mercer Island, WA

“Save Your Photos Day” is a free annual event that offers resources for what you can do to safeguard your memories before disasters or accidents occur. Local photo organizers and scan/print experts will join offer their expertise about preserving your photo memories. For more information email: molly@seattlephotoorganizing.com or visit the website: saveyourphotos.org

October 15th
SGS Fall Seminar,
“Genetic Genealogy”,
Fairview Christian School,
844 NE 78th Street,
Seattle, WA 98115

Featuring author Emily Aulicino, well-known expert on DNA and genealogy.

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News

Sep1 by Charles Hansen

GFO1

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News 31 August 2016

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 go to www.gfo.org/calendar.htm.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for August 2016, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy at http://www.gfo.org/insider/16-Aug.pdf.

***

Don’t forget to RSVP! We’d love to have you join us for a picnic to remember!

70f5c3b3aa1a99f75896d0e2d0ec2616_output

GFO’s ANNUAL MEMBERS REUNION PICNIC! Sept 18th
We would love to see you at the membership picnic this year!! Just think of it: Old friends, new friends, possible wild animal sightings, and all the genealogical talk you could ever wish for!

WHEN Sunday, Sept 18th, from noon until the swans kick us out!

WHERE Mt. Scott Park, Picnic Area B at SE 72nd Ave & Harold St in Portland.

HOW RSVP to picnic@gfo.org, then just put one foot in front of the other on Sept 18th, and come on out! YOU CAN ALSO PUSH THE SUPER-FUN BLUE BUTTON ABOVE OR BELOW!!

WHAT Iced tea, lemonade, and all the necessary paper and plastic products (plates, utensils, napkins, etc.) will be provided by the GFO. Please bring dishes to share, preferably filled with additional, more food-like items!!

NOTE No alcohol or smoking of any kind is permitted on the park grounds…city rules say so regarding all public parks.

***

It’s Back to School Time!! Remember to Smile!

School

“Ah, Mom! Do I have to??”
As you may have heard, when you shop at smile.amazon.com for all your back to school supplies, Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase total to the Genealogical Forum Of Oregon Inc.

Use the link HERE to go to Amazon’s website, sign in as you usually would and begin shopping as you usually would. It’s that easy!

As always, thank you for your continued support of the GFO, and for supporting the continued education of our next generation of little tiny humans!

***

Hot Links in Genealogy…

Fair

Oregon State Fair
There’s still time to join the fun at this year’s Oregon State Fair, which is running now through September 5th. Check out the full calendar HERE. Dog throwing is apparently encouraged.
Pioneer Wagon Encampment
If you’re near Baker City, Oregon, this Labor Day weekend, consider adding a stop at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The Center will be re-enacting an Oregon Trail Pioneer Wagon Encampment on Sept 3rd and 4th, from 10am to 2pm. Also, don’t miss their special evening concert on Friday, Sept 2nd at 6pm! Click HERE for all the details.
GFO’s Most Recent Digital Manuscript
The GFO’s Manuscripts Committee is proud to announce that the Walker Personal Papers (Accession 2012-32) is now fully scanned and can be searched via the recently completed Finding Aid online!! Read our newest Spotlight article for tidbits on the history of this particular collection, or request a digital copy of the original papers by emailing manuscripts@gfo.org.
Scandinavians Galore!
The Scandinavian Heritage Foundation is hosting a Swedish Genealogical Day on Sept 20th at the West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

September 20, Beginning at 2:00 PM
Lecture: $10 // Lecture Pass for All Lectures: $20
Half-Hour Personal Genealogical Consultation: $25

2:00-3:15 Kathy Meade – Swedish Records Online with Arkiv Digital
3:15-4:30 Charlotte Börjesson – Swedish DVD and Online Resources
4:30-5:30 Dinner/Food break
5:30-6:45 Anna-Lena Hultman – Swedish Culture and emigration from Sweden
6:45-8:00 Olof Cronberg – Swedish Historical Maps and Disbyt

Offsite event taking place just down the road from Nordia House at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Genealogists from Sweden offer assistance and resources for tracing your roots! They offer four lectures on various genealogical topics throughout the day. Each lecture is $10, or you can get a pass for all of the lectures for $20! Purchase individual lecture tickets or the pass below.

In addition, there are still some spots available for a half-hour one-on-one personal genealogical consultation session ($25 each). To sign up for one of these spots, please call us at 503.977.0275.

***

What’s Happening this Week at the GFO?

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd
Virginia Interest Group 10am – noon

Research in Virginia can be difficult, with the complication of “burned counties”, as well as the ordinary difficulties of using historical documents. But it is not impossible. We discuss the history of Virginia and explore various methods to do sound genealogy research. We hope to foster collaboration among our many Virginia researchers and work on our varied research problems, our “brick walls”, together. Each month we will have a discussion or presentation on a topic related to our research. There will also be time each meeting for discussion, suggestions, and perhaps research on individual research. We’ll also explore the settlement of Kentucky, the Carolinas and Tennessee. Please feel free to contact Judi Scott judiscot@gmail.com or Carol Surrency lcsurr@gmail.com with questions.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th
Manuscripts Work Party 9am – noon

Explore our manuscript, personal papers, and Bible collections while we organize, scan and create finding aids. Drop in at the time that works best for you. Questions? Feel free to email Nanci Remington at manuscripts@gfo.org.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th
Library Closed for the Labor Day Holiday

Please please please come visit us again either on Tuesday, Sept 6th, from 9:30am, or on Sept 12th, as we’ve moved our Free First Monday for this month.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th
Learn & Chat 10am – noon

Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. These bi-monthly sessions are facilitated by Connie Lenzen.

DNA Q&A 1pm – 2pm

Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more involved questions.

WHATCOM GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY 2016 FALL SEMINAR

Sep1 by Charles Hansen

WHATCOM GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

2016 FALL SEMINAR

Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016
9 am to 4 pm

Saint James Presbyterian Church
910 14th Street (lower level),
Bellingham, WA

Directions:
Take Exit 250, Old Fairhaven Parkway.
Go west on Old Fairhaven Parkway
to 14th St. 1.2 miles.
Turn right on 14th St., drive 0.5 miles.
Saint James Presbyterian will be on your left.
Seminar entrance and parking is at the backside of the building.
Doors open at 8:30 am
–
Program 9:00 am to 4 pm

2016 Seminar Flyer

2016 Seminar Registration(1)

Meet the Board: Mikal McKinnon

Aug31 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.

In the first of our new “Meet the Board” series, we’re fittingly introducing you to President Mikal A. McKinnon from Richland, Washington. Mike, as we all know him, has been the WSGS President since 01 Jan 2013. His second term ends 31 Dec 2016.

Mikal, age 3 in 1944

WSGS President Mikal McKinnon

Mike and his wife Janet (who you’ll meet later in the Meet the Board series) are the parents of five children: four sons and a daughter. They’re also the loving grandparents of 13. Mike and Janet met at Utah State University and have been married more than 50 years.

Mikal was born in Salt Lake City to Archivald Graham McKinnon and wife Julia Wahlstrom, both natives of the Beehive State. Mikal was named after his mother’s supervisor in nurses training Mrs. Mikals.

Mikal’s interest in genealogy began as a teenager when his father had him type family stories while learning to touch type on a typewriter. Today, Mikal has searched family lines from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to across the pond in Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales and Sweden. Most often using FamilySearch.org, Mikal once found land records containing a reference to a will that pushed the end of one family line back three generations — an exciting find!

December 1964

Prior to becoming WSGS President, Mikal served as the Region 5 Representative for two terms. He has been the Tri- City Genealogical Society‘s president, as well as the Richland Family History Center‘s Assistant Director and librarian. Mikal has served in many Latter Day Saints (LDS) Church leadership positions over the years, in addition to 50+ years in Boy Scouting. Currently he and Janet are serving in a volunteer position with Family Search supporting LDS Church leaders in western Washington State.

What does Mikal do when he’s not doing genealogy? He’s interested in lapidary, cutting and polishing rocks to make decorative items.

More trivia about Mikal:

His favorite color is blue.
His favorite dessert is apple pie.
He said the single word that describes best is “quiet.”

Now you know a little more about one of the WSGS Board members. The next time you see Mikal, say hello and thank him for his service to the WSGS.