See What You Can Do With an Innovative Grant

May12 by Roxanne Lowe

Last year, the Washington State Genealogical Society announced the creation of the “WSGS Innovative Grant Program.” The grants, up to $100, were designed to support the inventive and creative efforts of WSGS-member societies and organizations. Five societies received grants at the 2015 Annual Conference in Ellensburg:

Dead tree slated for removal

Chelan Valley Genealogical Society – Purchase of a computer, solely for genealogical research, at the Chelan Public Library. The computer will have access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.

Northeast Washington Genealogical Society – Removal of trees that are endangering the safety of people and protection of grave markers at the Evergreen Cemetery, a local cemetery near Colville.

Skagit Valley Genealogical Society – Purchase of a new laptop computer to be used for society presentations and transcription of documents from the Northwest Regional Archives in Bellingham.

Tri-City Genealogical Society – Funds will support the society’s “Archived Records Contest” which encourages individuals to share records they have obtained by various means other than just downloading an image from the Internet.

WAGS was able to purchase a second FileMaker Pro 12 software program that doubled the access time for dedicated volunteers who work many hours maintaining and improving the WAGS Library collection.

Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society – Purchase specialized computer software to enable more than one volunteer to enter data related to local obituaries, cemetery records, World War I records and more.

The 2016 deadline for submitting a grant proposal is JUNE 1. The simple one-page application and additional information are available here.

Contact Roxanne Lowe, WSGS Recognition and Special Awards chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com if you have questions.

Dave Sachi Named Outstanding Volunteer in 2015

May11 by Roxanne Lowe

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 coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2015 award recipients and learn why they received the 2015 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Dave Sachi

Today we’re introducing Dave Sachi of Port Townsend, Washington, who was nominated by the Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS). He was recognized for his dedicated efforts to keep the local society members informed and involved.

Mr. Sachi has assumed the vital job of compiling the JCGS quarterly newsletters for the past few years. Under his guidance, the newsletter has increased from eight pages to twelve. Each issue features a calendar of events letting JCGS members know the subject and speaker for the general meetings and when the society’s different interest groups meet. Each issue also includes the president’s message about the society business, a member-written book review, a list of new resource books and/or CD’s in the library, a story on the history of the county, and/or a family history story contributed by a JCGS member.

Mr. Sachi is an appreciated, diligent member of the JCGS, and 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.

Washington Trivia

May11 by Charles Hansen

Today I would like to introduce a new feature for our WSGS blog…. a Washington Trivia feature which hopefully will appear every Wednesday.

I figure we all live, work and love in this wonderful state so perhaps we might want to, or ought to, know a tidbit or two more about Washington.

For openers: Did you realize that Washington is the only state named after a U.S. president?

Northeast Washington Gen Society Newsflash

May10 by Charles Hansen

11 May 2016 meeting of the “Colville” group… any interested genealogist in the area is welcome to attend!

Another month and our May meetings are this next Wednesday, the 11th. The Computer Interest Group will meet at 10:30 a.m. in the meeting room down the hall from the Family History Center at the LDS church on Juniper. Norma Yost will introduce us to GEDmatch.com, which according to wikitree.com, “helps find shared ancestry between persons who have uploaded their autosomal DNA (atDNA) results from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, or Family Tree DNA’s Family Finder.” She will share with us how it can help get the most from your DNA results. Be sure to download the three handouts that Norma has prepared by logging in to the Members section of our website, then selecting Secure Downloads, and then the Computer Meeting Handouts. The three files should appear at the bottom of the list and be flagged “New” with titles starting with “GEDMatch.”

After a break for lunch, our afternoon meeting will be held in the same place at 1:30 p.m. After a short business meeting Dennis Vaagen, the new President of the Stevens County Historical Society, will give us an update on the Keller Heritage Center and share his future plans for the museum. Pat Graham will then try to stump us with a fun trivia game on local knowledge.

It should be a fun and interesting day and we hope to see you Wednesday. … Susan

Serendipity Day

May9 by Charles Hansen

How many presidents have visited YOUR town?

Ancient Mohawk Cemetery in New York

Eight Critical Thinking Skills

Oregon-California Trails Association

Is there a book with my family mentioned?

Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia

Blurb in our daily paper explained that Spokane has been visited by a dozen U.S. presidents plus some VPs, wives and others. Our list is Taft, Harding, both Roosevelts, Truman, Carter, Nixon, Clinton, Reagan, Ford and GW Bush. How about your town? How many presidential visits do you mark?

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Cemeteries have always been of great interest to family historians. It’s always interesting to me to read about cemeteries of yore and of other cultures. In December 1634, three men set out from Fort Orange (now Albany) New York to make contact with the Mohawks to convince them that the Dutch made better trades than the French or English. They visited a series of villages, “surprising Harmen with their level of civilization. They encountered cemeteries, surrounded by palisades, ‘so neatly made that it was a wonder,’ and graves painted red, white and black. A chief’s tomb they found was large enough to have an entrance and was decorated with carvings and paintings of animals.” (From The Island at the Center of the World: Epic Story of Dutch in Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America, by Russell Shorto, 2005.)

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Continue reading →

Bainbridge Island Gen Society Newsflash

May9 by Charles Hansen

Bainbridge Island

The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) will meet Friday, May 20, in the Bainbridge Island Public Library Meeting Room from 10:00 AM until noon. Joleen Aitchison, Director of the Family History Center in Poulsbo, will be discussing how to use FamilySearch effectively.

If you have questions about this fantastic resource and use of its website, bring them to the meeting. 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 Publicity and Public Relations

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS)

Lewis County Gen Society Newsflash

May9 by Charles Hansen

LCGS Speaker & Topic |

Meeting Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2016

Steven Morrison

Steven Waltz Morrison
“Detours Around Irish Roadblocks and Stone Walls: Genetic Origins of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.”

Mr. Morrison has been a professional genealogist since 2006. He’s a past president of the Olympia Genealogical Society, was their chair of the spring seminar for three years, and has served multiple positions on the board of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. He is also a mmber the the National Genealogical Society.

Visitors are always welcome!The meeting is at 7:00 pm, with doors open at 6:45 at St. John’s Lutheran Church,
2190 Jackson Hwy, Chehalis, WA 98532

Olympia Genealogical Society May Meeting

May7 by Charles Hansen



Our May 12 meeting will feature Godfrey & Merry Ellis 
telling us how to correct mistakes in FamilySearch. 
Meet at Thurston County Courthouse, Building 1, Room 152 at 7 pm.

We hold "Genealogy Cafe" on the 3rd Thursdays and 
3rd Saturdays every month at the Olympia Timberland 
Library, 313 8th AV SE, from 1-3 pm. Anyone welcome 
to consult with our "experts" about their family history.

Cheers!

JOYCE OGDEN

Genealogists In the News

May6 by Charles Hansen

Genealogists in the news

ewg-nyt

We are honored to share that the President of Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (EWGS), Pat Bayonne-Johnson, appeared in a story on the front page of the New York Times on Sunday, April 17. We hope you’ll find the story as interesting as we do. You can read the entire story here.

Bayonne-Johnson first learned her ancestors were reported to have been enslaved by the Jesuits of St. Mary’s Count, Maryland in 2004 while making plans for a family reunion. She sent documents to a genealogist in Baton Rouge for examination who discovered that Pat’s great-grandmother was born in Maryland. The rest might in fact be history but it’s a history worth uncovering.

In November 2015, Bayonne-Johnson formed the Butler Team at the library (pictured above) to continue to do research on her ancestors. Janette Birch (not pictured) is also a member of the team. Seated Pat Ayers, Pat Bayonne- Johnson, Dolly Webb. Standing Juanita McBride, Mary Holcomb, Carol Anderson and Barbara Brazington.

This is just one of many projects the genealogists are working on in any given week.

We invite you to stop by the downtown library on Tuesdays between 10 am and noon and 1 pm and 3 pm when volunteers are at the library to provide assistance to our customers on their own genealogical research. In addition to EWGS on Tuesdays (and some Thursdays—ask the downtown staff for more specifics on those dates), our reference librarian, Becky Menzel is our resident genealogist. She can assist you in getting started or answer any questions you might have while sending you in the right direction toward doing your own research.

The library also has a number of local history items as well as access to Family Search and American Ancestors, the New England Historic Genealogical Society’s database, which Becky can show you how to use.

More about the Eastern Washington Genealogy Society →

From the Spokane Public Library Newsletter copied with permission

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM Wednesday Evening E-News

May5 by Charles Hansen

GFO1

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM Wednesday Evening E-News 04 May 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, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy at http://www.gfo.org/insider/16-May.pdf.

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AmazonSmile Deals for Mothers’ Day?

Mothers

Dear GFO Guests and Members,

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8th. By shopping at smile.amazon.com, 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.

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Save the Date for Sunday, July 31st!

Digital

The GFO proudly presents…
Digital Photos: Scanning, Preparing, Organizing, and Sharing & Legacy Family Tree Software
Come join us for this amazing workshop opportunity with Geoffrey Rasmussen on Sunday, July 31, 2016, from 9:30am to 2:00pm.

Learn from the best to organize and share your digital photos by using Google’s new Google Photos! Geoffrey Rasmussen will teach you the best practices for digitizing, preserving and enhancing your photograph collections. He will also give tips on how you can readily access your collections on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Click HERE to sign up now!

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Just a note: The Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon is hosting the following program in just two Sundays!

Jewish

Don’t miss the April 2016 additions to the AID Collection of the Israel Genealogy Research Association…

Isreal Genealogy Research Association
Jewish2

Topics Include:
▪
▪ 1949 Telephone Directory – North Palestine– English

▪
▪ 1940 Medical Practitioners

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▪ Conquerors & Builders: Person active in the labor organization in the development of Petah Tikva The Jacob Dynasty – starting in Hungary

An addition of over 10,000 names to their collection.

See the full description HERE!

Slideshow of April 2016 release can also be viewed HERE.

What’s Happening this Week at the GFO?

SATURDAY, APRIL 30th
DNA Advanced 9am – noon

Tim Janzen will give a presentation where he will carefully review the entire process whereby he recently mapped the data for one of his mother’s 2nd cousins and one of his mother’s 2nd cousins once removed. He will demonstrate how to do chromosome mapping using a comprehensive version of a chromosome map as well as a simplified version of a chromosome map. He will discuss some of the surprises and complexities he uncovered during this process. He will also demonstrate how he uses his family’s chromosome maps in corresponding with his genetic cousins. Tim will do his best to make a somewhat complicated topic as easy to understand as feasible. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers. Come prepared for an exciting morning of discussion! Download worksheets and additional info HERE.
SATURDAY, MAY 7th
Virginia Group 10am – noon

The history of land transactions is Kentucky is a complex one. Land was awarded/sold for a variety of reasons, including bounty land for the French and Indian War and preemption warrants for those who first settled Kentucky without proper authority to claim the land. This all led to fights over the land which lasted for decades and provide us with a great deal of information if we know where to look. We’ll discuss the numerous types of original land claims, where to locate the documents, and where the land was for each type of claim. Coordinators are Judi Scott (judiscot@gmail.com) and Carol Surrency (lcsurr@gmail.com).

German Group 1pm – 3pm

The German Interest Group was formed in the spring of 2011. It is intended to be a source of information and inspiration for anyone with German speaking ancestors. One goal is to provide information on a variety of topics related to Germanic history and migration. We also will provide time for members to share their research journeys and connect with others who may be researching the same region or time period.
SUNDAY, MAY 8th
Maps Work Party! 9am – noon

We are planning to continue working on this project on the second Sunday of the month from 9:00 am until noon or whenever. Come when you can. Doris Cruickshank is our map project coordinator. Mothers definitely welcome.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11th
Photoshop Elements 1:30pm – 2:30pm

Join us for a discussion of how to use Photoshop Elements to present your family history research, pictures and stories. We discuss scanning techniques, photo restoration, creating pages for presentation, resources and anything else participants want to know related to this topic. All are welcome, from beginners to more advanced users. Come