NEW WEB SITES ON SGS LIBRARY COMPUTERS
You are invited to check out the three excellent genealogical web sites we have recently added to our SGS Library Computers.
We now have Fold3, Newspapers.com, and the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International among other sites already available to assist researchers in our library.
Fold3 has become the place to go for US military records, including pension files from the Revolutionary War, some from the War of 1812, Civil War service records, Navy cruise books, collections of casualty lists from recent conflicts, and much more. Newspapers.com is a massive collection of papers, some going back to the 1700’s, from locales throughout the USA, with a smaller number from England, Ireland and Canada.
The Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International website gives access to the Member’s homepage. This in turn allows research of the Archdiocese of St. Paul MN church records, Leo Baca’s Czech Immigration Passenger List and a number of other valuable resources.
We hope to add more genealogical sites in the near future. Your library is growing. Please come and enjoy it!
REGISTER NOW FOR THE SGS SPRING SEMINAR!REGISTRATION FEE INCREASES $10 AFTER 30 APRIL
Don’t forget to register now for the SGS spring seminar “Who’s Your Daddy? Researching Your Family History in the Mid-South States”! Register online, mail in your registration form and check, or bring your registration form and check to the SGS library. The seminar will be held on Saturday, 9 May, at the Greenwood Senior Center. Doors open at 9 a.m. Details can be found at
http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/springseminar.
C. Lynn Andersen CG will present four sessions on family history research in the Mid-South states. If all your ancestors didn’t arrive on the Mayflower, you likely need to know:
- An Overview of Internet Resources for the Mid-South States;
- Internet Resources for Mid-South States Will and Probate Records;
- Finding and Using Land Records Online to Solve Mid-South States Research Problems; and
- A Look at Colonial Land Records from the Mid-South States.
The research techniques and resources Ms. Andersen will present can be applied to your family history research in all parts of the U.S.
ANNUAL SEMINAR RAFFLE BENEFITS SGS LIBRARY FUND
Come prepared to participate in the annual seminar raffle! All proceeds benefit the SGS Library Fund, established to enable the society to fill gaps in its current library collection, increase its collection in areas of interest to members, and to conserve properly its library holdings. The Library Fund has already enabled SGS to add to its library collection during the past year more than five popular magazine/journal subscriptions; several additional genealogical web site subscriptions such as Fold3.com and Newspapers.com; and approximately 50 new books of particular interest to members. By participating in the 2015 seminar raffle, you support continuing improvements to the SGS library resources that are available to aid you in your family history research.
Great prizes include two Mocavo gold subscriptions, four tickets to a Pacific Northwest Ballet performance, Chartmasters pedigree charts, free admission to the SGS fall seminar, Dollarhide’s Civil War Records, gift card for use at SGS book sales, and much, much more!
Raffle tickets are only $1 each.
SGS ELECTION IS UNDERWAY
The election of SGS Board members and members of the 2015-2016 Nominating Committee is underway now. Ballots were mailed out last week, and must be returned to SGS by April 30.
If you haven’t received your ballot in the mail and believe that you are a current SGS member, please email Julia Marconi, Director of Membership, atSGSMembership@gmail.com.
Two board positions – Director of Publications and Director of Volunteers – are currently vacant, and we need your help in finding someone to fill these. If you have someone who you think would do a good job, please feel free to nominate them by contacting Marilyn Rose, President, at SGSPresident@gmail.com.
NOTE: this eNewsletter goes to previous, now lapsed members of SGS as well as current members, so receiving it is not a sign that one’s membership is current.
If your membership has lapsed, we’d love to have you back again!
RECOGNIZING SGS MEMBER KAREN PORTZER
Seattle Metro’s RapidRide buses and stations feature a new poem every day of the year through November 2015, as part of the Poetry on Buses public art program.
SGS member Karen Portzer is among the poets whose poems have been selected. Her poem, Irish Morn, is the poem of the day on July 30, 2015.
See http://poetryonbuses.org/collection for full details.
Congratulations, Karen!
SGS FAMILY HISTORY WRITING CONTEST UPDATE
We received thirteen entries for this, our first family history writing contest, and we are thrilled with the response.
Winners will be announced at the end of the month, unless the judges need more time to review all the submissions.
ANNOUNCEMENT: The SGS Bulletin is now accepting advertisements for genealogically related enterprises. See our web site, seattlegenealogicalsociety.org for costs and parameters.
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.
Wednesday, April 15, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
PROGRAM – HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
This is a two part program. First we’ll give a short introduction to “Accessing Holocaust Databases.” From deportation records to lists of the martyred to survivor testimonies, the Holocaust has generated a vast amount of documents and records – many of which can be researched online.
The second part of the program is a little-known and chillingly unique story of the“The Ahnenerbe – the Nazi Genealogy Ancestral Heritage Program.” Its Family History records can go back into the 1700’s and it has affected German genealogy research for decades both in a negative and positive way. It inspired Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones” movies with the Quest for the Ark of the Covenant and the Search for the Holy Grail. Speaker: Jean A. Roth
Saturday, April 25, 10:15 am – 12:00 pm
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER, Judith Eccles Wight, AG from Salt Lake City.
Judith Eccles Wight, owner of Wight House Research, has been an Accredited Genealogist specializing in Irish research for almost 40 years. She writes extensively for genealogical periodicals including Irish Roots and is a popular teacher and lecturer at genealogical events and Legacy Family Tree webinars. She worked 10 ½ years as a British Reference Consultant at the Family History Library. She and her husband recently completed a 15 month LDS Church mission at the Church History Library where her research skills were put to work in documenting people.
Program: “My Delia Holland isn’t WHO and WHERE She’s supposed to Be.”
This is based on a case study that Judith did on a woman she researched; her name and place of origin were identified in U.S. records and through family records and stories. There was only one problem – she couldn’t be found in Ireland. Judith will give tips for solving both Irish personal name and place name problems that may prevent you from finding your Irish ancestors.
Space is limited to 50; call (522-8658) or stop by the SGS library to reserve a place; we’ll announce this to other groups after April 6, if open seats haven’t been claimed by that date.
Sunday, April 26, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
ETHNIC SERIES: OSTFRIESLAND
Program: “Dear Brothers and Sisters: A Letter to Ostfriesland.” This is an overview of an area of Germany contiguous with the Dutch border, its history, culture and people.
Speaker: Jill Morelli
Saturday, May 2, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm
CANADIAN INTEREST GROUP, Leader: David Robert
Tuesday, May 5 – GIVE BIG DAY – make a contribution to SGS online on this date, and we will receive additional funds from the special non-profit cultural funds. See http://www.seattlefoundation.org/GivingCenter/GiveBIG/Pages/Default.aspx for more details.
Wednesday, May 6th – Ginny Sharp Sommarstrom, SGS member and former SGS President, is scheduled to present a Webinar sponsored by the Minnesota Genealogical Society on this date, titled Researching Your Swedish Ancestry in the 21st Century. More information at http://mngs.org/eventListings.php?nm=38.
Saturday, May 9
SGS SPRING SEMINAR – All Day
“Who’s Your Daddy? Researching Your Family History in the Mid-South States
Greenwood Senior Center – 525 N. 85th Street Speaker: C. Lynn Anderson
Sunday, May 10 MOTHERS DAY – SGS Closed
Wednesday, May 13, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
MAC Computer Interest Group
Fiske Genealogical Library 1644 43rd Ave E. Seattle – Pioneer Hall in Madison Park $3 library use fee. Speakers: Diane Heddrick and Lou Daly
Saturday, May 16
SGS IRISH INTEREST GROUP, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm
General open session on German research ideas. Speaker: Jean A. Roth
Saturday, May 16
SGS GERMAN INTEREST GROUP, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
General open session on Irish research ideas. Speaker: Jean A. Roth
Sunday, May 17, 11:30 am – 4:00 pm
ETHNIC SERIES: GERMAN-RUSSIAN WORKSHOP
Speakers: Jean A. Roth from the Volga Germans and Carolyn Shott from the Black Sea and Ukrainian Germans.
Saturday, May 23 – Monday, May 25 – MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
SGS Closed
