Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

Seattle

* WANTED *
 PHOTOS FROM 2015 FALL SEMINAR

Did you attend last year’s Fall Seminar or one of the special Sunday sessions with Dr. Thomas W. Jones? Did you take any photos?

We need one or two good pictures from this event for our 4Culture grant application. These annual $3000 grants are key to our financial success, and our seminars are one of the reasons that 4Culture continues to support SGS.

Please contact secretary@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org if you have a photo to share.

KUDOS TO JOHN

This past week SGS volunteer, John Harley, installed three smoke detectors in the SGS Library. We’d like to thank John for his invaluable and expert help. Our Library had been without any smoke detectors. We all feel safer now.

SGS HALLOWEEN OPEN HOUSE
 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30th, 1:00-4:00pm

Come to the SGS Library for some tricks & treats, plus a tiptoe through some fascinating tombstones. At 2:00pm Jean A Roth, a descendant of Salem Witch Trials families, will present “Dead Men Tell No Tales; Or, Do They?”

Continue reading →

Ferry County Man Stumbles Upon A 100 Year Old Artifact

by Charles Hansen
Taylor Viydo , KREM 9:12 PM. PDT October 14, 2016….THANK YOU, KREM IN SPOKANE FOR SHARING THIS WONDERFUL STORY!

 

ORIENT, Wash. — In Northern Washington, a Ferry County man and his brother were using a metal detector when they stumbled upon something pretty unique.

Last week, the two brothers were using a metal detector behind a school, in the small town of Orient, Wash.

Previously, they found old pieces of scrap metal and a license plate.

This time, they stumbled upon a round metal item. At first, the brothers just thought it was junk. Upon further inspection of the item, they saw the name Willie Fryett engraved on the back of it.

NIck Porter looked at school records to try and find someone who matched that name. He was able to find a Willie Fryett who was part of the inaugural class at the Orient school in 1910.
Porter then went to Google and ancestry.com to find out more about Fryett.

Porter said he was able to figure out Fryett left Orient around 1920 and headed West to Bremerton, Washington.

Luckily, Porter was able to find an email address for someone who had the last name Fryett in Western Washington. He decided to try and email the person to see if they had heard of Willie Fryett.

Porter got an email back from a person saying he was the great-grandson of Willie Fryett.

This weekend, Porter will meet up with Willie Fryett’s descendants to give them the watch piece and a copy of Fryett’s school photo.

What very well could have ended up as trash, now will become a family treasure.

Autumn Quest Success

by Roxanne Lowe

By Patty Olsen
WSGS Region 4 Regional Representative
Lewis County Genealogical Society Vice President and Program Chair

Curt Witcher and WSGS board members Patty Olsen and Roger Newman

Curt Witcher and WSGS board members Patty Olsen and Roger Newman

Heritage Quest Research Library’s annual Autumn Quest is in the books, and I’m hoping I use everything I learned. What a great day with Curt B. Witcher, senior manager of special collections at the genealogical phenomenon Allen County Public Library (ACPL) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He also manages The Genealogy Center, Allen County’s Rare and Fine Book Collection and the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection of Abraham Lincoln materials.

Curt was funny, entertaining and informative — a master of all three! He spoke on four subjects:

• Doing Effective Genealogy Research in Libraries
• Effective Use of the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
• Mining the Mother Lode: Using Periodical Literature for Genealogical Research
• Finding the World with WorldCat

His lecture on the Allen County Public Library really opened my eyes to what an amazing gem the ACPL’s Genealogy Center is. It immediately made just about everyone in the room want to take a road trip to Fort Wayne!

In a fascinating lecture, Curt enlightened us that our heritage records are in the hands of disinterested entities in government repositories. That’s why the ACPL Genealogy Center makes a rigorous effort to collect a diverse collection of records. In fact, the Genealogy Center will accept ANY record! Think about the breadth of their collection (currently at 4.3 million books!). They want your:

• Family histories
• Military packets
• Diaries
• Family Bibles
• School and college yearbooks
• Letters from the war to you and yours
• Programs from events like commencements, tributes, special events, etc.
• Ship itineraries
• Photographs
• Naturalization records
• Land grants
• Wills, probates, adoption papers
• Materials you purchased then discovered it wasn’t about your ancestor
• Memorabilia other entities wouldn’t save
• Weird stuff no one else keeps

Continue reading →

German Interest Group of The Eastside Genealogical Society Meeting

by Charles Hansen

EGS

 

The German Interest Group of The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Friday, November 4, 2016 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.  Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.

 

Topic:  “Books for Researching Your German Ancestors”: Members are bringing the books they have found helpful for researching in the US & in Europe and will very briefly tell about each one. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the best books and get ideas for your Christmas Wish Lists or/and your winter research reading. Also, some of these books may be available through your local library.

 

For more information, kindly visit our website at https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com/  .

 

Eastside Genealogical Society Meeting

by Charles Hansen

EGS

 

The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, November 10, 2016 in the Bellevue Regional Library (Room 1), 1111 – 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 at 7 pm, with doors opening at 6:45 pm for networking.

Topic:  “PROFILE OF A QUAKER – Friends in Colonial America” will be presented by Steven W. Morrison, a professional genealogist and speaker.   The profile of a Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) can be as distinctive as a fingerprint. This is due to their ethnic origin, belief system, marriage practices, and separate record structure. This session will teach you profiling techniques, so you can spot a QUAKER in colonial America. Come learn how you might identify a Quaker among your ancestors.

Also see our website for FREE genealogical help and other Special Interest Group meetings. Visitors are always welcome at all meetings. www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wakcegs/

Genealogical Forum of Oregon Workshop Sold Out

by Charles Hansen

GFO1

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Special News Flash

Sunday’s Workshop SOLD OUT

16 October 2016
Taylor in October

THIS SUNDAY’s WORKSHOP IS SOLD OUT!!

We sincerely apologize for any confusion, but this Sunday’s Workshop with Mr. Taylor is SOLD OUT.

The Library will be closed until 1pm.

NO FAMILY TREE MAKER CLASS

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience, but to make room for the sold out workshop, the Family Tree Maker class has been canceled.

Researchers and general visitors to the Library are welcome to share the GFO’s Library resources after 1pm on Sunday, October 16th.

Thanks so much for your understanding and consideration.

Sincerely,

The GFO

Eastern Washington GS’s Tuesday Gals Awarded 2016 Outstanding Team Award

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 a 2016 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Today we’re introducing the Tuesday Gals Team who were nominated by the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (EWGS). Members of this dedicated team include Carol Anderson, Patricia Ayers, Patricia Bayonne-Johnson, Barbara Brazington, Mary Holcomb, Juanita McBride and Dolly Webb.

EWGS's Tuesday Gals

EWGS’s Tuesday Gals

Started in the 1950s, the “Tuesday Gals” are a longtime tradition of Gene-Helpers in the local library. In addition to helping people with genealogical research, the Tuesday Gals support EWGS’s genealogical holdings that are housed in the downtown branch of the Spokane Public Library by ordering books, binding and/or repairing them and cataloging them. Although they’re usually at the library on Tuesday’s (thus the name), they’re quick to help if needed on a different day.

This group of dedicated volunteers richly deserve being recipients of a 2016 Outstanding Volunteer Team by the Washington State Genealogical Society.

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.

Alice Whitman Chapter DAR Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Saturday – 15 Oct 2016

ALICE WHITMAN CHAPTER

DAR is “Historic Preservation – Education – Patriotism”

Ridge Point Clubhouse, 1400 SE Fancy Free Drive, Pullman WA

Luncheon at 12:00 Noon  —  Meeting begins at 1 p.m.

Hostesses:  Mmes. Lohrey-Birch, Dillman, Petura, Muir, Trail, Hawbaker

Please RSVP by 12 Oct with lunch count to Doris Lohrey-Birch – ph 509-338-0425

Program:  DAR Museum – Period Rooms

Speaker:  Joye Dillman, CDIT

Directions to Ridge Pointe Clubhouse:

From South, continue on WA27 (ignore the bypass) to enter Pullman, turn right onto Bishop Blvd at the first stoplight (about 1.2 miles).  Proceed on Bishop through the next two stop lights (about ¾ mile) then turn left into Ridge Pointe and hang a tight left onto Fancy Free Drive.  The clearly marked Clubhouse will be around the bend and on your right.  It is two miles from the bypass).  Ridge Pointe entry is directly across from the emergency entrance to Pullman Regional Hospital.

Directions from East:  Enter via 270 Pullman/Moscow Highway.  Turn left at the Bishop Blvd intersection and stay on Bishop as it winds past the river and curves up the hill.  Turn right into Ridge Point community.  The turn is directly across the small sign marking the emergency entrance to the hospital.  It’s about 8/10 mile from the turnoff from 270.

Parking:  There are spaces in front of the clubhouse and a few across the street.  Also a group of about six spaces on the left at the dead end of Fancy Free at the next left.