Kittitas County Genealogical Society Upcoming Meetings

by Charles Hansen

KCGS_logo

Genealogy Annual Potluck Picnic

Sunday Aug 14 at 4 pm at home of Mary and Lew Christensen, 60 Moe Road, at corner of Moe&Tjossem Rds.  Please bring something to share – a salad, fruit, meat, a side dish or dessert.  Hosts will furnish beverages and table service.  Come enjoy this time of fellowship with others in our society.

Guests are WELCOME!

 

No Sept 2016 meeting because of Labor Day and Rodeo-County Fair conflict

 

Our October 3, 2016 7pm meeting will have a program related to DNA-genealogy, by our member Judy Clayton.

 

Our November 7, 2016  7pm meeting will have a program on special censuses, such as Mortality schedules of the US federal censuses, by our member Erik Bakke.

(& Mon Dec 5 is Christmas dinner 208 NRubySt)

Annual Christmas Dinner by the Methodists:

Monday Dec 5th at 6 pm at Methodist Church 208 N. Ruby St Ellensburg, for members and guests who pay about 2 weeks ahead of time.

 

Monday before Thanksgiving, November 21 is the final deadline to sign up.

 

Make check to KCGS and mail to 413 N. Main St, Suite L, Ellensburg WA 98926

 

Frenchtown Historical Foundation Rendezvous

by Charles Hansen
Rivers
My name is Sarah Hurlburt and I am the secretary of the Frenchtown Historical Foundation in Walla Walla, WA (frenchtownwa.org).
The Frenchtown Historic Site, which we maintain, interprets the history of a 19th-century mixed community of French Canadian and native American families in the Walla Walla valley. The site includes the original sites of the St. Rose of Lima Mission and the St. Rose Mission Cemetery, as well as a key location for the historic Battle of Walla Walla, also known as the Battle of Frenchtown. 
We will be holding our annual Rendezvous on October 8, 2016, and we have some really interesting keynote speakers this year. Would you be willing to share the attached flyer with your organization, or post it on your bulletin board?
Many thanks,
Sarah Hurlburt

Help Find Information on a Civil War Veteran

by Charles Hansen

 

Calling all sleuths! I’ve done a cursory research for George B. Williams, the man who was cared for by D.J. Zent in his final days before death in Colville, Washington. Mr. Zent also paid for his funeral and burial plot at Evergreen Cemetery in 1899. I have not been able to verify Mr.William’s military service in the Civil War nor anything else about him.

The National Park Service has a website of Soldiers & Sailors who fought in the Civil War. It is an index that lists the Battle Unit Name, Company, which side he fought for, soldiers rank in & out and a detail biography of the regiment activities including soldiers wounded & died. Our George B. Williams supposedly served in the 12th Michigan Cavalry. Michigan had a 10th Michigan Cavalry but no 12th Michigan Cavalry. There is a George Williams in the 12th Michigan Infantry, Company K and one in Company B. Also a George B. Williams served in the 10th Michigan Cavalry, Company I. I ordered his Pension File #769131 from NARA only to find he died in Nebraska.

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Olympia Genealogical Society Genealogy Cafe

by Charles Hansen

ogsname

GENEALOGY CAFE  Meet with Olympia Genealogical Society experts for personal help with your family history research. Olympia Timberland Library, 313 8th AV SE, Olympia.  Thursday Aug 18th and Saturday August 20 from 1-3 pm.  FREE  contact 360)529-9813 or txresearch@comcast.net

Thank-you    JOYCE OGDEN, Publicity

=======================================================================                                                                  Joyce T. Ogden             jtogden@comcast.net

Serendipity Day

by Charles Hansen

** DNA: Summer Reading

** Ancestry: Summer Learning

** Welsh Newspapers

**eBay…for Genealogy?

**Red Clover Miracle Tonic

Realizing that my understanding of DNA, et al, was at the level of first grade, I have added two books to my summer reading pile. Genetics for Dummies (2005) and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Decoding Your Genes (1999). Bought them both from Amazon.com for under $10.00 (because they are ancient). I have the books; I’ll have the time; I have a desire. Now will I study these books and learn?

Idiot Dummy

What about YOU? Is this a subject about which you want to know more? What are YOU doing about that lack of knowledge?

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If you don’t want to delve into your genes, then perhaps learning more about Ancestry.com would be your summer thing? Do you want to better understand:

  • Ancestry Academy?
  • Difference between public and private trees?
  • Inviting family or friends to view and/or collaborate?
  • Watching Ancestry YouTube videos? (There are over 95,000 to view!)

Here is a starter list of websites where you can learn these answers:

One cannot camp, boat, swim, hike or roast marshmallows only all summer long!

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Good news for those of us having Welsh ancestry. Quoting from Your Family Tree magazine, September 2015:  “The National Library of Wales’ Welsh Newspapers Online website (http://newspapers.library.wales) has a new look and now boasts more than 120 newspaper titles published in Wales between 1804 and 1919. First launched in 2013, the free website has recently been updated with an extra 400,000 pages, including many new titles.”

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This same magazine mentioned above, had a good read titled “Get Started: The Salvation Army.” This beneficial organization was founded in London’s East End in 1867 by one-time Methodist Reform Church minister William Booth and his wife Catherine. Originally, Booth named the organization the East London Christian Mission. Much of the same information appears on this website:  www.salvationarmyuse.org/usn/history-of-the-salvation-army.

My purpose here today is to share the research resources that Doreen Hopwood listed in her article. “Step-by-step: Trace an Officer: lists (1) Salvation Army Yearbook;  (2) 1911 Census;  (3) Ship Passenger Lists. The Top Three sources for “Finding a Salvationist” would be (1) Salvation Army Periodicals; (2) International Heritage Centre; and (3) Newspapers.

Hopwood’s article was aimed at records in England; to trace your Salvation Army ancestor, U.S. sources will vary but they are out there!

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ebay

“You wouldn’t think this online auction site would be the place to go for genealogy, but the truth is you can find family trees, books, photo albums, old postcards, family Bibles and much more. Some genealogists even scour eBay to rescue orphan heirlooms they can return to family members. Typically, items are listed in the Everything Else-Genealogy category. But check other categories such as books, collectibles, antiques and jewelry. In your eBay profile, you can follow Favorite Searches and get email alerts and updates in your eBay feed. For example, I follow Duquesne, Pennsylvania high school yearbooks.  Create searches like Smithson family Bible or Riser genealogy.”

This blurb was penned by Liza Also in the Mar-Apr 2016 issue of FamilyTree Magazine. What good advice! Like I said in an earlier Serendipity, I am looking for a Potter family Bible….I must set up an auto-search-notification on eBay for that! What about you? Think eBay might have benefit for you?

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“WE ALL KNOW that water never runs up hill; that kisses taste better than they look, and are better after dark; that it is better to be right than to be left; that those who take Dr. Jones’ Red Clover Tonic never have dyspepsia, costiveness (constipation), bad breath, piles, pimples, ague and malaria diseases, poor appetite, low spirits, headache or diseases of Kidneys and Bladder. Price 50 cents of E. Johnson.”  This “miracle drug” ad ran on May 17, 1883, in the Ohio newspaper the Piqua Miami Helmet. Too bad (hahaha) we don’t have cures like that today!

 

 

 

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen

GFO1

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News 3 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.

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To Those Who Drive Automobiles…

 

Beware

Beware!!! Beeeewwwwaaaaaarrrree…..
But seriously, the west parking lot for the Ford Building (on the corner of 10th and Division) will be closed for clean up and paving from Thursday, August 4th, through Sunday, August 7th.

Please feel free to come on down for a $1 parking pass if you would like to park in any of the zoned street parking areas, or you may still utilize the parking lot southeast of the Ford Building on 11th.

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Camera

For All Those Photoshop Element Lovers Out There…
Just for the month of August we will meet on the THIRD Wednesday, August 17th, at 1:30pm at the GFO due to vacation schedules. Feel free to send any questions you have or topics you would like to cover for this upcoming meeting to Sarah Holmes.

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Call to Volunteers – Let the Book Labeling Live On!

Books2

Remember all those wonderful French-Canadian genealogy books we brought down from a very generous donor in North Portland? Well, we’re currently getting them ready for general research consumption, but WE NEED YOUR HELP again!!
We’re looking for a very special volunteer, or couple of volunteers, to help with creating and binding spine labels to a cart-full of the smaller items that came with the French-Canadian resource collection.
The tasks this project involves are especially for those who enjoy taking pride in detail-oriented, and sometimes repetitive, work that has a huge impact as to encouraging visibility and overall use of priceless resource materials.

If you’re interested in this short-term project, please contact our wonderful and lovely president, Laurel Smith, at president@gfo.org.
Roddy in September
 
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Roddy

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Extray
EXTRAY! EXTRAY! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!
We’d like humbly point to this riveting article from Friday’s Portland Tribune, by Kevin Harden, regarding a local genealogical hunt. There are truly some great researching tips in this story, my friends!

May Maine Civil War veteran Jewett B. Williams have a safe ride home.

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Fall Seminar & Workshop Are Almost Full!!

Joshua

It’s still not too late to sign up to hear D. Joshua Taylor!
October 15th at the TaborSpace, and October 16th at the GFO

Don’t get left behind on this one!! Click HERE to reserve your registration today.

Mr. Taylor is a nationally known and recognized genealogical author and lecturer. He will be presenting on a plethora of topics such as:

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▪ The Web, the World and YOU!

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▪ Evaluating & Documenting Online Sources

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▪ Bridging the Gap: Finding Ancestors in the U.S. between 1780 & 1830

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▪ Online Resources for Colonial America

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▪ Colonial American Legal Traditions

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What’s Happening this Week at the GFO?

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7th
Manuscripts Work Party 9am – noon

We’re always glad to see you, and so are the manuscripts! Come help us save the GFO manuscript collections from the threat of disuse and obscurity with our monthly efforts in organizing and prepping files for scanning as part of the GFO’s Digital Manuscript Collection project. Hope to see you there, as any time you can give is so appreciated!!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 9th
Board Meeting 6 – 8pm

The monthly GFO Board Meetings are open to the public and to all members who are interested in witnessing what makes this place great!

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.

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

Seattle

TIP OF THE WEEK – MANY WASHINGTON STATE DEATH CERTIFICATE IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE
 

Washington state researchers are well aware of the Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960 index online at FamilySearch.org, and have used it for years.
However, many are not aware that in many instances, digital images of these death certificates are available as well.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:
The process below seems long and cumbersome, and it is.  But once you try it and find the record you’re interested in, you’ll be glad.
1.First, access the above index, and confirm that there is a death certificate that you’d like to see, jotting down the specifics (county, date, ‘GS FILM NUMBER’ and IMAGE NUMBER.
[Note that at this time, the index itself doesn’t reveal whether an actual image is available, even when it does.]
2.Return to the familysearch.org main page;
3.Put your cursor over the word ‘Search’ in the top center of the page, and select Catalog from the dropdown menu;
4.Type ‘Washington’ in the “Search By” box, and the click on ‘Search.’ Then click on “United States, Washington,” the first entry in a long list that pops up.
5.This brings up a long list of all WA state records in the Family History Library Catalogue.  Scroll to the bottom, and click on ‘Vital Records (28).’
6.Scroll down to ‘Death Certificates WA State, 1907-1960,’ and click on that.
7.This brings up a list of all 988 of the films with death certificates.
To go directly to the microfilm reel you’re interested in, search for the film number you jotted down. (CTRL-F brings up the search menu; Command-F if you’re a Mac person)
8.Confirm that it is of the right place and date for your record.  If so, and if a ‘camera icon’ appears in the right column, you’re in luck!
9.Click on the camera icon.  This brings up all images on that reel.
10.Type the image number that you jotted down into the box and hit enter.
11.Now find the thumbnail image that is outlined with a square, and double-click on it. That should be the certificate.

The certificate can now be printed, copied or downloaded.

HAPPY HUNTING!

Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

Seattle

FAMILY TREE MAKER HELP SESSIONS

Do you wish you could create attractive pedigree charts, display ancestor timelines, or show your documentation for key family facts? Do you want to learn more about the Family Tree Maker genealogy software program and how to use its special features to record and share your family history research with others?

SGS will sponsor a series of meetings for users of Family Tree Maker to learn more about how to use that software most effectively. The series starts Saturday, August 27 at the SGS Library at 10:15 a.m.

This first meeting will be a collaborative session in which we’ll work together to illustrate how we use the program and to address basic questions and problems.  There will be no formal presentation at the first meeting; we’ll make a list of top issues to be addressed in subsequent meetings.

Anyone is welcome. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.

If you plan to attend, OR if such a program is of interest to you, but you cannot attend on August 27, please email Reiley Kidd at secretary@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org, indicating what version of FTM you use, and what topics you are particularly interested in.  Attendees should bring, if possible, their laptop and FTM, for hands-on assistance.

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Heritage Quest Research Library Upcoming Classes

by Charles Hansen
 hqrl_logoMark your calendars! It’s a busy month at HQRL!
 As a courtesy, please do not wear perfume or strong cologne.
August 4th, Thursday, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. $15.00
Genealogy Software Options and Using GEDCOM Files(A repeat) with Jim Johnson   Jim will discuss the future of Family Tree Maker, give an overview of Legacy Family Tree and Roots Magic software. He will explain how to move your files from Family Tree Maker to another program. Along with how to make GEDCOM files and how to use them.
As a follow up to this class: a Legacy Family Tree class will be held Tuesday, August 16th, 6-8pm $15.00 and a Roots Magic class Saturday, August 13th, 10-3 $15.00 and/or on Tuesday, August 30th, 6-8pm $15.00.
August 5th, Friday 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 ancestor, 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.
August 13th, Saturday 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M., $15.00
Roots Magic with Dee Haviland Fournier  Join Dee for a beginner’s class in Roots Magic. If you are thinking about buying Roots Magic or have the software and don’t know where to begin, this class will help to get you started. It is focused on the Main Menu and the Tool Bar. We will cover as much as time allows. If you have the program loaded on your laptop, you might want to bring it with you.
 August 16th, Tuesday 6:00 – 8:00 P.M., $15.00
Getting Started with Legacy Family Tree with Jim Johnson Jim will explain how to set up your family file and how to input your information properly. If you have Legacy installed on a laptop, you are invited to bring it and follow along with the lesson.
August 22nd, Monday 1:00 -3:00 P.M., $15.00
Researching Land Records with Carolyn Harkness
 “…beginning at the old oak tree, on the banks of the Salix Creek, thence southwest 45 degrees, 30 chains to the big rock……” Carolyn will describe various land records and where to find them, including the Metes and Bounds System of the original colonies. She will provide protractors whereby students will plat a land description. She will also discuss the Rectangular Survey system, which is the primary survey method in the United States. Join us for this learning experience!
August 30th, Tuesday 6:00 – 8:00 P.M., $15.00
Roots Magic(A repeat) with Dee Haviland Fournier Join Dee for a Beginner’s Class in Roots Magic. If you are thinking about buying Roots Magic or have the software and don’t know where to begin this class will help you get started. It is focused on the Main Menu and the Tool Bar. We will cover as much as time allows. If you have the program loaded on your laptop, you might want to bring it with you.
 *3 ways to sign-up:*

1. In person at HQRL, 1007 S. Main St., Sumner, WA. The sign-up notebook is at the Front Desk.

2. E-mail *HQRLinfo@gmail.com <HQRLinfo@gmail.com>* – provide name, telephone number and your HQRL membership number, if you are a member.

3. Telephone HQRL at 253-863-1806 between 10:00 am – 4 pm, Monday through Saturday. Provide your name, telephone number and HQRL membership number, if you are a member.

Don’t forget to register for:

Autumn Quest 2016:
“Enriching Research through Library Sources” with Curt Wichter, Genealogy Center Manager at the Allen County Library
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 7-9, 2016   8:00 am – 4:30 pm
 A genealogy seminar, sponsored by: Heritage Quest Research Library
 Emerald Queen Ballroom and Conference Center
 5580 Pacific Hwy E. Fife, WA
Please see our website (hqrl.com) for further information.