Larry Taylor Named Outstanding Volunteer in 2015
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized more than 450 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 next month, you will be introduced to each of the 2015 award recipients and learn why they received the 2015 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.
Today we’re introducing Larry Taylor of Arlington, Washington, who was nominated by the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society (SVGS). He was recognized for his commitment and dedication to memorializing final disposition information of those no longer with us.
Larry Taylor
Mr. Taylor has worked tirelessly for three years to photograph, document and add Snohomish County memorials to the Find a Grave website. He has, coordinating with more than a dozen volunteers, photographed and uploaded over 100,000 photos – 32,000 by Mr. Taylor alone. As a result of these intensive efforts, people worldwide can access information about their loved ones via the Internet.
Now that Snohomish County memorials are complete, Mr. Taylor is leading an effort to find, identify and mark the 10,000 graves without formal headstones that are throughout the county.
People like Mr. Taylor make finding our history easier. He is an appreciated and diligent member of the SVGS, and illustrates that he richly deserved being a recipient of a 2015 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.
Northeast Washington Gen Society Newsflash
The next Northeast Washington Genealogical Society meetings are on Wednesday, June 8, 2016. 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.
NeWGS President, Susan Dechant, will share several scanning options available to us for digitizing those old photos we have been lucky enough to find and a few tricks for enhancing and improving faded or damaged ones.
We will take a lunch break at noon and then meet at the Evergreen Cemetery located on Aladdin Road approximately one mile north of Highway 20 here in Colville at 1:30 p.m.
NeWGS board member and Chairman of the Evergreen Cemetery Restoration Project, Lora Rose, has spent hours and hours cleaning and improving the Evergreen cemetery. Additionally she spends hours researching and inputting valuable genealogical information on the NeWGS Cemetery page of our website (www.newgs.org) .
NeWGS has a long history of caretaking and restoring this pioneer cemetery that is such an integral part of the history of Colville and its citizens past and present. This is the time of year that the cemetery gets a special clean-up for Memorial Day when we have numerous visitors. We invite anyone who would like to learn more about the history and the inhabitants of the cemetery to join Lora as she leads us on a walk through time and introduces us to some of the characters who built this community in the 1800’s forward.
For those of you who are able to walk across a small field there is public parking in the parking lot next to the old abandoned outhouse just before you come to the main entrance to the cemetery. There is some space for parking in the cemetery near the road. We ask that you please do not park near the grave markers on the grass. There are many unmarked graves.
All visitors are welcome. You do not need to be a member to attend the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society’s meetings.
Skagit Valley Gen Society Newsflash
Jefferson County Gen Society Newsflash
LOOKING BEYOND THE DEEDS
When researching your family history, land records can be a “treasure chest” of information. Deeds and transfer of ownership are only half the story! Understanding survey systems, survey maps, and connected survey maps can answer questions like nothing else. Mapping your findings can be fun and illuminating. The public is welcome to hear about using this additional research avenue at the Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) monthly meeting on Saturday, June 18 at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 W. Valley Rd. Come at 9:30 A.M. for coffee/tea; 10:00 – 11:30 for the program. Donations to JCGS are gratefully accepted to bring future guest speakers into our area.
JCGS is delighted to bring this month’s speaker, Eric Stroschein, a professional Forensic Genealogist from Mt. Vernon, WA to the Quimper Peninsula. He and his wife Karen own “Generations Detective”, a genealogical research firm where he specializes in resolving difficult genealogical questions using land records as an important resource in his work. One case used over 250 individual pieces of evidence including deeds, surveys and connected survey maps of the county to pinpoint the locations of dozens of people, proving their town had been covered by a reservoir. When Eric is not researching, he can be found at his ‘day job’ driving a fire engine for the Seattle Fire Department where he is a 26-year veteran. Eric serves on the Board of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and is Chairperson of the Advocacy Committee. He also serves as a representative on the Records Preservation and Access Committee for the Federation of Genealogical Societies. He is past President of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and is in his second term as a Board member of the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History.
Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week
TIP OF THE WEEK – WRITTEN IN STONE
Anyone who has tried to glean information from an ancestor’s centuries old gravestone realizes while “written in stone” by definition means permanent, in reality weathering of the stone renders many inscriptions impossible or difficult to read. Applying chalk, flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, shaving cream, or doing crayon rubbings to make inscriptions more legible were once popular techniques. Please do not use these substances. They may seem benign, but they are harmful. Here’s a couple of tips using aluminum foil that are not harmful to the stone.
Aluminum foil impression – this works best with the thinnest, cheapest foil you can find and a damp sponge or clean, soft brush such as a makeup brush. Apply the foil shiny side down on the gravestone and gently press the foil against the stone with a damp sponge or soft brush. Carefully remove the foil from the stone and almost magically things that had not been discernible to your naked eye appear imprinted in the foil.
Remember if you find it necessary to secure the foil to the gravestone, do not apply any tape directly to the stone. Instead encircle the gravestone with the foil, overlapping the ends, and only tape foil to foil. Some cemeteries don’t allow visitors to touch the gravestones at all so check that out before taking a foil impression.
Aluminum foil mirror – cloudy overcast and shadows make older stones more difficult to read so try visiting cemeteries on bright, sunny days when the sun is high in the sky. It’s also suggested you bring a large mirror to cast light diagonally across the face of a difficult to read gravestone like a professional photographer would use a silver reflector board. The mirror should be taller than the headstone. In place of a cumbersome and breakable full length mirror, cover a large piece of cardboard with aluminum foil, shiny side out. Use this as your full length mirror. This technique will require two people; one to direct the light with the foil mirror and another person to do the reading and/or photography Try adding a powerful flashlight to your arsenal of equipment. Experiment with the angles and reflecting light back onto the gravestone.
Happy headstone hunting to you and here are two links as examples of what you might expect from an aluminum foil impression.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=33059891
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=38952943
Seattle Genealogical Society News
SGS NEEDS 40 VOLUNTEERS
for the 2016
PACIFIC NORTHWEST SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES
Saturday, July 30 & Sunday, July 31
Enumclaw Expo Center
– COME LISTEN TO THE BAGPIPES – WATCH THE DANCERS –
– VISIT THE CLANS – HELP SGS PROMOTE GENEALOGY –
We need volunteers to help at the Seattle Genealogical Society and Library booth during the Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games in Enumclaw. We have been participating for many years and it is a great way to let the public know about SGS and to promote membership. Our participation also gives us valuable community outreach credit for our grant applications with 4Culture which has resulted in thousands of dollars for our equipment and projects. Game attendance is about 30,000 for the weekend. Most of the people who come to the SGS booth don’t have an understanding of their Scottish or Irish heritage and have not done any research. They primarily want to know two things:
1. “What clan do I belong to?”
2. “What tartan can I use?”
We will have a number of reference books available at the booth that help answer those questions. You will receive an e-mail attachment prior to the games that will give you a refresher course on Scottish and Celtic genealogy. There will also be a handout about SGS and other information. Highland Games material, maps and instructions will be sent out about 10 days before the games after we receive confirmation of our location and tickets.
We need twenty volunteers for each day; two volunteers for each two hour session and three people during the peak afternoon hours. We will supply you with a free ticket for the games. This will entitle you to enjoy a full day at the Games for your own enjoyment. It’s a lot of fun. Parking will be at your own expense at $7.00 per day. We encourage carpooling.
Please contact me before June 19th. Send along your name, email address, phone contact, age if you are over 62 and a time preference, if you have one.
Thanks so much.
JEAN A. ROTH, SGS Outgoing Director of Education and Outreach Coordinator
Email: jeanaroth@juno.com
Ph: (206) 782-2629
THANK YOU, DONORS!
We are delighted to report that this year we received over $3,700 in donations through the Seattle Foundation’s GiveBig 2016 program. This represents an increase of more than 70% over giving in each of the past two years.
Over 50 donations were made to SGS, most from current members. Three donations were anonymous, and two were from non-members; one of those was for $500, a very generous and welcome contribution!
Thank you so much to everyone who contributed and made this year’s GiveBig campaign such a big success!
HELP WANTED
We need a volunteer who can contribute a few hours a week to type bibliographies for the Archives Committee. Work can be done at SGS on Thursdays when the committee is on the job (bring your laptop) or at any time from your home. A template for the listings will be provided. No salary, but an unlimited amount of gratitude is offered. If you can help, please leave word at the SGS front desk – (206) 522-8658 or email to : sgslibrary@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org
The Archives Committee sorts, organizes and assembles documents, correspondence, family group sheets, and other materials that make up the valuable family histories on the shelves of the SGS library and includes a bibliography. Our bibliography backlog is growing and to continue its work, the Archives Committee needs help.
CALENDAR
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 German Interest Group and the Irish Interest Group will not meet during the summer; regular meetings will be resumed in the fall.
JUNE
Saturday, June 4, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Canadian Interest Group, Leader: David Robert, Last meeting until fall.
Saturday, June 4, 1:00PM – 3:00 pm, Annual Membership Meeting, meet the new board of directors. Lisa Chan, Director of Technology will speak on how new technology will aid the Society. The meeting will be chaired by retiring SGS President, Marilyn Rose. Stay on for coffee, tea, cookies and socializing after the meeting.
Tuesday, June 7, 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.
Wednesday, June 8, 7:00pm – 9:00pm , MAC Computer Interest Group, Fiske Genealogical Library, 1644 43rd Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112, Leaders: Diane Heddrick and Lou Daly
Sunday, June 12, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, Scandinavian Interest Group, Problem Solving Workshop! Jill Morelli will be filling in for Karen; bring your Scandinavian research problem and submit it for crowd-solving by the SSIG. We will answer as many questions as we can. Everyone will learn new techniques and record sets. Remember to bring your data with you.
Tuesday, June 14, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology
Wednesday, June 15, 12:00pm – 3:00pm , Beginning Genealogy, New to genealogy? Come and learn the basics and more. Instructor: Jean A Roth, outgoing Director of Education
Tuesday, June 21, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology
Tuesday, June 28, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Technology Tuesday, Hosted by Lisa Chan, SGS Director of Technology
REMEMBER TO RENEW
It’s time to renew your Seattle Genealogical Society membership. Membership forms along with a return envelope were sent out earlier this month. You can renew in person, on-line, or by mail. The Annual Membership Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 4th at 1 pm. Hope to see you there. Refer to the Calendar section below for more details.
Innovative Grant applications due today!
Innovative Grant applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, 2016. Late applications will not be accepted.
The grants, up to $100, are designed to support the inventive and creative efforts of WSGS-member societies and organizations. Up to five grants will be awarded in 2016.
The simple application is only ONE page and is available here. Additional guidance on the program is here.
For more information, contact Roxanne Lowe, WSGS Recognition Chair.
Twin River Genealogical Society Walking With Ancestors
Hello, I would like to get the word out about “Walking with Ancestors”, July 4th, starting at 9a.m and the last group will go through at 10:30a.m, at the Normal Hill Cemetery. We will be portraying: John R. Wadsworth, Louis Jay Perkins, Charles H. Wiggin, Joseph Alexander, Henry K. Fountain, and John C. Addison. They will be portrayed by members of our Twin River Genealogy Society members. There is no cost and there will be a registration table at the site. Most of these Ancestors are close to the road so it should be easy walking for people.
Thank you, Sue Gehrke
Eastside Genealogical Society German Interest Group June Meeting
The June meeting of the Eastside Genealogical Society’s German Interest Group (GIG) will take place Friday, June 3, 2016, from 1-3 p.m. at the LDS Church at 10675 NE 20th St, Bellevue, WA 98004.
This is their last meeting before summer break. Please note that the GIG doesn’t have monthly meetings over the summer in July or August. Their meetings will resume monthly beginning in September 2016.
The June meeting topic will be: “What Are Your Summer Genealogy Plans & How Might We Help You.”
Will you be going on a research trip, attending/hosting a family reunion, doing a genealogy project (like organizing your research and documents or writing a book or breaking down a brickwall or learning about DNA), or share what your summer genealogical plans or hopes may be!
Come share your plans & ask any questions that might help you be successful!
GIG members have experience and are willing to share what they have learned. We will all learn something new!
You’ll end your summer with the wonderful feeling of accomplishment and, at our September 2016 meeting, we hope you’ll share what you did over the summer!