Seattle Genealogical Society Upcoming Meetings

by Charles Hansen

Seattle

FALL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The SGS Fall Membership Meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 1:00 pm at the SGS Library.

At this meeting, Julia Marconi, Director of Membership, will be presenting the program “The Use of Social Media in Genealogy”. She will help us understand some of the ways that the various social media sites can assist in your search for those elusive ancestors, and how you may possibly find cousins that you didn’t know existed. SGS is going to focus on enhancing our social media presence. Learn how you could benefit from the use of research tools that you may not have yet explored.

Also at this meeting the Financial Review Committee will be presenting their report to the membership on their review of the finances of the society.

Each year, the Washington State Genealogical Society presents a number of special citations, in recognition and appreciation of the dedication and commitment exhibited to the genealogical community in Washington State. This year SGS is pleased to have our outstanding Library Team recognized. The team was selected for its dedicated volunteer efforts to enlarge and improve the society’s library. Team members are Dona Bubelis, Daniel P. Harmon, Kathi McGinnes, Charlotte Wixon and Ann Wright.

This will be an interesting meeting, please put the date on your calendar and plan to join us on the 10th of October at SGS.

Coming soon on Saturday, October 17th, the SGS 2015 Fall Seminar
“The Family History Detective: Finding Solutions to Your Toughest Research Problems.”

(SGS members $50, non-members $60)

This is a special opportunity for us in the Pacific Northwest to hear Dr. Thomas W. Jones, co-editor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and a nationally renowned speaker.

If you’d like some interactive, small group time with Dr. Jones, be sure to sign up for one of the two special classes he will teach at the SGS library on Sunday, October 18th. (SGS members $35, non-members $40)  Class size is limited to 30 persons each, so sign up now before all the spaces are filled!

For seminar and class details, visit http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/fallseminar

To register online for the seminar and special classes, visit www.seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/content/2015-fall-seminar-registration

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

All programs are at the SGS Library at 6200 Sand Point Way unless otherwise indicated. Please Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be postponed. Continue reading →

Chelan Valley Gen Society News & Awards

by Charles Hansen

The Chelan Valley Genealogical Society marked their 25th anniversary on Saturday, September 19th, with an awards and program party. Donna Potter Phillips came from Spokane to give a presentation on how to use HeritageQuest Online, a benefit of the Chelan Public Library.

Maureen White and Bettie Kenck, charter members back in 1990 and the group (ones present that day) gathered in front of their birthday banner:

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President Chris Kenck Courtright was presented with the WSGS Certificate of Recognition….. her outstanding contributions to the group were the reason the CVGS members nominated her for this award.

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The Chelan Valley Genealogical Society has a website and a Facebook page. If you’ve ancestral interest in the Chelan-Manson area, do enlist the help of these good folks.

Serendipity Friday

by Charles Hansen

A regular column in The Spokesman  here in Spokane is “Jim Kershner’s This Day In History, from our archives 100 years ago.”  Jim gleans his bits from scouring the old newspapers from 100 years ago. Here is a bit he posted on 7 Sept 2015:

Dr. Henry Suzzallo, president of the University of Washington, told Spokane’s assembled teachers that the old-fashioned methods of teaching were no longer useful. “The old system of teaching a class by first saying ‘Position,’ (and having the student fold his hands on the desk, feet flat on the floor, sitting upright) has passed and now the pupil is allowed to remain in a comfortable position in which he will be best able to gather the most from the teacher’s remarks.”

He also advised teachers to “laugh and be merry” and not merely “put on a stern face.”

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In 1915, Henry Suzzallo was appointed President of the university  and a new library building became one of his top priorities. Beginning in 1922, Suzzallo envisioned a library was was to be “the soul of the university.” The Suzzallo Library opened in 1926 (date of above photo).

Have you ever been to the Suzzallo Library to do research? I have not; I would enjoy hearing your story about this experience.

If you would enjoy some inside photos of this magnificent library, click to www.lib.washington.edu/suzzallo

 

 

Whatcom Genealogical Society Fall Seminar

by Charles Hansen
Whatcom Genealogical Society Fall Seminar will be held Saturday, September 26 from 9 am – 4 pm at St. James Presbyterian Church, 910 – 14th Street, Bellingham.  Jill Morelli will speak on “The Push and the Pull:  Decision Making of the 19th Century Emigrant”, “Insanity in the 19th Century”, and “Getting the Most from Insurance Maps”.  Jim Johnson of Heritage Quest will speak on “Finding and Using Your Ancestors’ Church Records”; he will also bring his traveling bookstore.
A raffle will be held of 6 bags worth approx. $140 – 160 each.  Tickets are $5.00.  Free coffee and snacks in the morning — Lunch available, or brown bag it.

Skagit Valley Gen Society News Flash

by Charles Hansen

 

Skagit Valley GS

Skagit Vally Genealogical society will hold its 2015 seminar on Saturday, September 19.  We will be featuring Jill Morelli and Mary Kathryn Kozy.  Walk ins are welcome.  We hope you will join us at the Mount Vernon Senior Center at8:00am.
Door Prizes and lots of books.  Come join us.
Hazel
Communications
Skagit Valley Genealogical Society
Society Mision Statement:
Skagit Valley Genealogical Society is a non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to the collection and preservationof genealogical information and to providing supportive and educational opportunities for those who are involved in genealogical research.

Eastside Genealogy Society News Flash

by Charles Hansen

EGS

The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, October 8, 2015 in the LDS Bellevue South Stake Center, 15205 SE 28th St, Bellevue 98007 at 7pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm for networking.

Topic:  Cyndi Howells, owner & developer of Cyndi’s List, (a comprehensive list of genealogical sites on the Internet), will address the topic of “Searching in the Deep Web”.  She will explore resources that are invisible to Google and hidden deep within websites and proprietary databases.

 

Anticipating a huge interest in this topic and our presenter, the location of this meeting will be changed to accommodate more attendees.  The location will be at the LDS Bellevue South Stake Center, which is located across 148th Ave from Bellevue College, behind the LDS Temple.  Parking is around the building and in the open lot between the temple and the fire station.

 

The new Seattle Family Discovery Center, a multimedia approach to sharing genealogy with all ages, is located in the same building & will be open at 6pm for a short walk-thru. Reservations for a full hour tour can be made online atfamilysearch.org/discoverycenter/seattle  .

 

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

 

Dorothy Pretare

EGS Publicity Chairperson

dpgen@comcast.net

 

“Traveling Through Time” Hard to Sit Through

by Charles Hansen

About 65 individuals had a difficult time sitting through the Traveling Through Time seminar with speaker William Dollarhide. Within minutes of his opening remarks there was a desire to leave the room and research.

The first session of the all-day seminar was titled “Dollarhide’s Five Rules – Essentials for Successful Genealogical Research.” Rule number 1 was “Treat the brothers and sisters of your ancestors Lectureras equals.” With this rule Dollarhide encouraged everyone to obtain those important census records, vital records, and various historical documents on all collateral lines. He provided a great case study of locating his own Dollarhide Family Bible by following this rule. Most genealogists, he explained, focus so closely on their ancestral line that they overlook the very important clues that are available by examining records left behind by aunts, uncles, and cousins of every generation. With this he also told everyone that they had an awful lot of work to do. It was a difficult way to begin the day as we knew that we were only beginning to understand how little we had done. Continue reading →

Seattle Genealogical Society Fall Seminar

by Charles Hansen

Seattle

 

Register Now for the SGS Fall Seminar!

Dr. Thomas W. Jones, CG, CGL., FASG

“The Family History Detective:
Finding Solutions to Your Toughest Research Problems”

Saturday, October 17
Nordic Heritage Museum
(SGS member price $50, non-member price $60)
Take advantage of this opportunity to hear one of the best, most highly sought after genealogical speakers in the U.S!  Dr. Thomas Jones, author of the recently published book, Mastering Genealogical Proof, and co-editor of The National Genealogical Quarterly, will make four thought-provoking presentations at the SGS 2015 fall seminar.  Come hear a master of genealogical proof discuss strategies for solving your most difficult family history research problems.
Dr. Jones will make four presentations at the October 17 seminar:

  • “Can Complex Research Problems Be Solved Solely Online?”
  • “Five Ways to Prove Who Your Ancestor Was (Some Reliable and Others Not Reliable)”
  • “Inferential Genealogy: Deducing Ancestors’ Identities Indirectly”
  • “Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Ancestor”

Come meet an acclaimed genealogist and learn how he has solved difficult research puzzles like your own.  There is plenty of easy parking available for seminar participants at the Nordic Heritage Museum.  Lunches can be ordered in advance.

Special Classes
Sunday, October 18
Seattle Genealogical Society
(SGS member price $35, non-member price $40)

Would you like some small class interaction with Dr. Jones?  Then sign up now for one of the two special classes he will teach at the SGS library on Sunday, October 18!  Registration for a special class is open to anyone who attends the Saturday, October 17, seminar.  Class size is limited to 30 students per session.  One class per person.  Special class registrations are accepted on a first come, first served basis.

  • “Developing Research Questions and Hypotheses: Planning an Exhaustive Search”
  • “Special Problems: Finding Immigrant and Migrant Origins”

For full seminar and special class details, visit the SGS website:
http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/fallseminar

To register online for the seminar and special classes, visit:
http://www.seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/content/2015-fall-seminar-registration