Irish Educational Opportunity Upcoming In March

by Charles Hansen

The Ulster Historical Foundation is once again coming from Northern Ireland to offer to genealogists in our area an all-day seminar on Irish-Scots Irish research. Fintan Mullin shared these blurbs with me to share with you……… if you live near Moscow/Pullman or Yakima and want to spend a day learning about Irish research, then this is the day for you!

P.S. These knowledgeable fellows gave this presentation to EWGS a couple of years back and it was appreciated by all. They also bring their Foundation’s books to sell.

 

Moscow, ID, Friday 27 March (11:30am to 4:00pm)

Programme title:                        Tracing Your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors

Location of programme:             Best Western Plus University Inn,

1516 Pullman Road, Moscow, ID 83843

Host organisation:                      Latah County Historical Society

Main contact person:                 Mary Wack

Tel: Mobile: 509-230-8160

Email: mwack@pull.twcbc.com

Registration Details: To reserve a seat, pre-register online at: http://uhfonthepalouse.com/

Other information: Registration fee of $35 includes lunch and workshop materials.

Pre-register online; pay at workshop. Checks payable to Latah County Historical Society.

 

 

Yakima, WA, Saturday 28 March (8:30am to 4:00pm)

Programme title:                        Researching your Irish Heritage

Location of programme: Mt Olive Lutheran Church

7809 Tieton Drive, Yakima, WA 98908

Host organisation:                      The Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

Registration Details:                   Cost: $40.00 per person (includes lunch & handouts)

To download the registration form, please visit http://www.yvgs.net/

 

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society News Flash

by Charles Hansen

Lower Columbia GS

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~walcolgs/

The above link will take you to the website of the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society where you will see what this eager bunch of genealogists is accomplishing. They also shared the current issue of their publication with us, via their website, so do go take a looksee.

And if your travel plans call for you to be in the Longview area, you might consider joining the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society at their meeting.

Thanks to Karen Vance for this update.

News flash from Kittitas County Gen Soc

by Charles Hansen

 

 

KCGS_logoKittitas Co. Genealogical Soc. Meeting

Monday March 2 at 7 pm 413 N Main, Ellensburg

We’ll hear more about June 26-27 WA State Convention (for first time ever) in Ellensburg.

Refreshments

Program is by our newsletter editor Janet Camarata, a very lively and informative speaker

SUPPLEMENTAL 1940 Etc CENSUS SCHEDULES:

On Mortality, Employment, Agriculture Etc.

(~why does it say your family was worth $5000?)

New England Regional Genealogical Consortium and Irish Research Seminar

by Charles Hansen

The Irish Ancestral Research Association
New England Regional Genealogical Consortium, Inc.   (NERGC)

Early Bird registration ($120)
ends 28 February 2015.

Registration after 28 February 2015 is $150.
Single day registration increases from $90 to $100 after 28 February 2015
Navigating the Past: Sailing into the Future

15-18 April 2015

The Rhode Island
Convention Center
Providence, RI

http://www.nergc.org/index.html

TIARA Members lectures by Susan Steele and Margaret Sullivan and Mike Brophy.

There are also Irish interest talks by Donna Moughty and David Ouimette and Mary Ellen Grogan.

Please see the direct link to the program with
over 90 presentations
http://www.nergc.org/NERGC%202015%20Registration%20Brochure.pdf

More than 75 Exhibitors:

http://www.nergc.org/NERGC%202015%20DIRECTORY%20OF%20EXHIBITORS%20FINAL.pdf

Please consider supporting this great
organization and TIARA members sessions.

Latah County (ID) Historical Society Seminar

by Charles Hansen

Want to discover your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors?

 

Many people believe that researching Irish ancestors is impossible because of the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922. While many records were destroyed, others survived and have come online in recent years.

 

Join experts Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt from the Ulster Historical Foundation to learn how to get the most out of Irish resources and records, gain strategies for breaking down brick walls, and grasp important historical context that may help fill in gaps in your research. Whether you are just beginning your Irish research or have been at it for years, you won’t want to miss this workshop!

 

 

Find out more at http://uhfonthepalouse.com/ about a special Irish and Scots-Irish seminar from the Ulster Historical Foundation to follow up St. Patrick’s Day:

 

 

Tracing Your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors

 

Best Western Plus University Inn

Moscow, Idaho, March 27, 2015, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Lunch included; Pre-registration required

Sponsored by the Latah County Historical Society

Kathy and Bruce Pitman

Mary Wack

 

Staff from the Ulster Historical Foundation – Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt– will present a seminar on Irish and Scots-Irish genealogy for beginners and active family historians. Mullan is Executive Director of the Foundation, an educational nonprofit organization which specializes in historical research and publications. Hunt is Research Officer with the Foundation.

 

Topics will include:

  • Introduction to Irish and Scots-Irish Family History Research
  • Emigration from Ireland to America and the Sources for its Study (including Famine emigration)
  • Using land records: Griffith’s Valuation, Tithe and Estate records
  • Q&A and solving your brick walls (includes using online databases as part of solving brick walls)

  

The programme includes “Solving your brick-walls” – a practical internet tutorial for trying to resolve research queries. It is an extended question and answer session, where the speakers use online resources and their local knowledge to offer participants practical tips and specific advice about their personal research interests.

 

This seminar provides very practical and detailed information on how to trace your Irish ancestors. The presenters are from one of Ireland’s foremost genealogy research organisations and publishing houses and they will give advice on what to do and where to go next. These sessions will help the beginner and the seasoned genealogist alike.

 

What better way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day itself, than by making a start on your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestral quest? Your Irish genealogy is waiting to be discovered.

 

With over 55 years’ experience of serving Irish people everywhere, let the Ulster Historical Foundation help you discover your family’s story.

Serendipity Friday, February 20, 2015

by Charles Hansen

Serendipity Friday, February 20, 2015

Sharing some bits and pieces brought home from RootsTech 2015 last week:



Going to be in Indiana this summer?  The Indiana Historical Society is holding their annual Midwestern Roots conference on 1-2 August in Indianapolis. Advance notice:  the dates will be 15-16 July in 2016, also in Indianapolis.  Google it to learn the details.

FamilySearch Apps…. did you realize you can have a whole family of genealogy apps on your phone from FamilySearch? And of course they’re free. FamilySearch has partnered with many companies to offer to you their services. Companies like Ancestry,  Billion Graves, FamilyTree DNA,  Find A Grave, Find My Past, Fold 3, Kinpoint, Genealogy Bank, My Heritage, NEHGS, RootsMagic and Legacy and several more. Such a nice deal.  Stay tuned towww.familysearch.org/partneraccess. (If only I had a smart phone….. I’m in the dwindling army of those with dumb phones.)

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services has a genealogy program. Who would have thought? If you are seeking records between 1906 and 1951, you might want to click towww.uscis.gov/genealogy. 

The BYU Family History Library (http://sites.lib/byu.edu/familyhistory) offers you direct links to research sources. For instance, under Digital Archives, there are links to all fifty U.S. state archives. Another link is for Libraries & Historical Societies and there is one for Periodicals & Newspapers. How will you know that there is nothing there for you unless you go looking??

Here’s a fun one: Text in a Bottle (www.TextinaBottle.com). Set up a free account on this website and you can send very special messages to friends and family. I say “special” for the message pops from a bottle and unrolls for the recipient to read. And you can post-date these messages to come tomorrow, next month or long into the future. Great to go through your birthday calendar and have birthday messages all done and ready to be sent!!

Anybody but me ever do a book using Ancestry’s MyCanvas? And remember how bummed we were to hear that Ancestry was discontinuing this service? Well, as you might have guessed would happen did happen. Now it’s MyCanvas by Alexander’s and is still reachable from a link at Ancestry or directly atwww.mycanvas.com.  Sigh. All is not lost.

Ancestor Cloud (www.ancestorcloud.com) is another new opportunity I learned about at RootsTech 2015. Their blurb reads:  “AncestorCloud is a global marketplace of passionate researchers that work together to solve their research problems. Whether you’re stuck and need a records lookup, local photograph, translation, research help, or anything else, AncestorCloud is the online community for you.” Here’s how it works. Click to the website and create a profile. Then type into the box what you are wanting and how much you’re willing to pay for the help. When somebody responds, offering to help you, that amount is deposited in their online-money account built into the website and then they can use it to “buy” help they need. Pretty cool idea, really.

Whenever I’m in Salt Lake City, I try to attend the “Music & The Spoken Word,”  the live half hour broadcast on Temple Square. Before RootsTech, I was lucky! Lloyd D. Newell always gives an inspirational and non-denominational message and this time his message centered around Broadway musical star Idina Menzel. She realized that in her performances on stage that she might not hit every note correctly every single time. But that’s life and that’s okay. Lloyd Newell ended his remarks that Sunday with this:  “We are all far more than the notes we hit….or fail to hit. Perhaps we should define ourselves not by what we are today but by what we can be, by what we aspire to be. Wherever those aspirations are leading us, let us accept that success can happen over time, little by little. With this perspective, our mistakes and shortcomings can teach us instead of condemn us. In reality, this is what it means to do our best.”

Seattle Genealogical Society Updates

by Charles Hansen

SGS Board Meeting minutes now available on-line

Historically, the minutes of SGS Board meetings have been posted on the Information Board at the SGS Library soon after they have been approved, so that any interested member may view them and see what the Board has been working on.
At their January 2015 meeting, the SGS Board of Directors voted to ALSO make the approved minutes of Board meetings available online in the Members section of the Society’s web site, where they may be viewed by any current member, from wherever they have Internet access.
The minutes from our December 2, 2014 meeting were approved at the Board meeting of January 27, 2015, and are now available online.  To view them, go to the SGS web site at http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/ and click on LOGIN and follow the instructions.
If you cannot remember your Username or Password, send an email toSGSSecretary@gmail.com, including your name and zip code; we’ll check your membership status (we need to do that because this eNewsletter goes to previous members as well as active members) and send you instructions on how to proceed.

CALLING ALL WRITERS!
The first Seattle Genealogical Society Writing content is here! Do you love to write the stories of your families but are not interested in writing your story within the structure of a formal research paper? Then, this is for you. For the next SGS Bulletin, SGS is soliciting your family stories– sometimes called “creative non-fiction.” These stories are non-fiction stories but contain narrative which might have happened. The contest is open to SGS members and monetary prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd will be awarded. For more information go to the SGS website under Publications for Contest Guidelines and entry form. Entries are due 1 April 2015.

HELP WANTED – CURRENT SGS NEEDS & OPENINGS

IT TAKES A SOCIETY TO PUT ON A SEMINAR
Each year, SGS puts on two seminars, bringing in nationally known speakers.  These seminars are always well received, and draw big crowds.  The seminars are vital to SGS because membership dues cover less than one half of the society’s operating budget each year. Revenue from the seminars is another of our main revenue sources, and this revenue is critical to our society’s operation. Therefore it is important that we ensure the seminars’ success.

This year, the Spring seminar will be on Saturday May 9, and we need more help in all the areas that make or break a seminar: effective publicity; assistance with set-up and parking on the morning of the event; an efficient registration & sign-in desk; arranging and serving the seminar lunch; and more.
Below are several openings we need to fill.  If you can help with these, or wish to help in any way, please email Betty Ravenholt, ravenholt@aol.com

NEEDED: We need 3 more volunteers to help with registration for the SGS Spring Seminar on the morning of Saturday, May 9, 2015, 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Greenwood Senior Center.

NEEDED: Two volunteers willing to give SGS approximately one hour to put out snacks/water bottles and group prepared/delivered lunch boxes at SGS spring seminar on 9 May. Work begins at 8:30. Seminar at Greenwood Senior Center. Email Betty Ravenholt, ravenholt@aol.com

NEEDED: Three volunteers willing to give SGS approximately one hour to hand out lunch boxes and replenish snack trays/water bottles at SGS spring seminar on 9 May. Work will take about one hour and begins about 12:00. Seminar at Greenwood Senior Center. Email Betty Ravenholt, ravenholt@aol.com

NEEDED: Several volunteers to help fold the seminar brochures and apply printed mailing labels on them (about 2-3 hours at SGS, sometime in the last week of February).  Email Betty Ravenholt, ravenholt@aol.com

IN ADDITION, SGS needs to select the chairperson for the two seminars in 2016 NOW, to begin the process of identifying and inviting the speakers.
WANTED: Seminars Chairperson for 2016. Volunteer now, and learn the job from the 2015 Seminar Chairperson, while getting a jump on planning the Spring and Fall SGS Seminars for 2016. Applicants please contact Jean Roth, jeanaroth@juno.com 

WANTED:  Reviving the Publicity Committee to publicize events and the society in general. About  four  hours per month for:  posting SGS event information on area genealogical societies’ web site calendars, posting event information to local newspapers’ calendars, working with Seminar and Education committees to meet publicity needs. Monthly meeting but much committee work can be done from home. Contact SGSVicePresident@gmail.com

WANTED:  Volunteers willing to give 3-4 hours a month for answering research queries that come to SGS (generally out-of-state requests).  Work includes:  looking for obituaries in Seattle Times (online or at Seattle Public Library),  looking for listings in the Seattle City Directory (at SGS office) and copying a page from a book in the SGS Library (requester will identify book and page). ContactSGSVicePresident@gmail.com

TREASURER’S REQUEST
Calling all SGS volunteers who work with PayPal, eBay, GiveBig, JustGive or any other online service related to revenue for SGS. I do not have a list of names and/or responsibilities. Would anyone who is currently assigned such responsibilities, please send me an email as soon as possible at sgstreasurer@gmail.com indicating which service and your duties so that I can set up a meeting. ​I need your expertise and advice about what procedures are being used, what is working, and what might need to be reviewed.
THANK YOU,
Fran Lewis, Treasurer

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 if the SGS Library is closed due to weather or lack of a desk volunteer.

Tuesday, February 17, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Brick Wall Solving Session.  Join SGS members for a problem-solving session.  This is an open forum format.  Jean A. Roth, leader.

Sunday, February 22, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Irish Interest Group, Jean A. Roth, leader.  Open session on Irish research.  Come and share your successes and brick walls.

Sunday, February 22, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., German Interest Group, Jean A. Roth, leader.  Open session on German research.  Come and share your successes and brick walls.

The next two programs begin our 2015 series of lectures on the Ethnic Heritage in the Northwest.

Saturday, February 28, 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.  Program: Embracing Your Ethnic Heritage, Jean A. Roth, leader.  Our ancestors had a rich ethnic heritage – a story that needs to be told.

Saturday, February 28, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.  Program: Coming to America – Castle Gardens and Ellis Island, Jean A. Roth, leader.  Many of our ancestors came through the Port of New York and entered through Castle Gardens or Ellis Island.  This program will describe entering the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Saturday, March 7, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm
CANADIAN INTEREST GROUP, Leader: David Robert

Sunday, March 8   [Beginning of Daylight Savings Time – set clocks forward]
ETHNIC SERIES: NATIVE AMERICAN WORKSHOP 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
“Is Great-Grandmother Really Native American? An Introduction to Native American Genealogical Research” Many families have the oral history that an ancestor was Native American.  How does a family researcher begin to discover if this is true?  What federal, state and tribal records are available?
Speaker: Janice Lovelace.

Wednesday, March 11, 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, March 14 – ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE   12:30 pm
5th and Jefferson to Westlake – SGS will have an antique car entry, a 1954 MG.  SGS marchers are wanted to walk along the car.  Contact Jean Roth,jeanaroth@juno.com

IRISH WEEK FESTIVAL at SEATTLE CENTER
Saturday March 14,12 noon – 6:00 pm
Sunday, March 15, 10 am – 6:00 pm
SGS will host an information booth and also conduct genealogy classes.
Volunteers needed for booth.

Saturday, March 21, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, IRISH GENEALOGY WORKSHOP all day, sponsored by the Irish Heritage Club and the SGS Irish Interest Group
Luther Memorial Lutheran Church – 13047 Greenwood N. in Seattle.
Register at www.irishclub.org – click on Irish Week – March 21 for details.

Sunday, March 22
(The Irish Interest Group will not meet this month)
GERMAN INTEREST GROUP 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
“Using German Church Records,” Speaker: Jean A. Roth.

Saturday, March 28, 1:00 pm -3:00 pm
Open Social Session & Brown bag Lunch- 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
SGS MEMBERSHIP MEETING begins at 1 p.m.

Sunday, March 29, 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
BEGINNING GENEALOGY CLASS 
An overview of basic genealogy techniques and resources. Advance registration requested; email SGSvicepresident@gmail.com, or call SGS, 522-8658, to register.
Instructor: Janice Lovelace

TIP OF THE WEEK
Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.
Mark Twain

Kinpoint….. New Kid On The Block…. Share The News!

by Charles Hansen

Have you heard of Kinpoint??  This is a fairly new website that offers you simple-to-use help in filling in missing information and finding more branches of your family tree.

KinpointKinpoint is “family history simplified…. find records for missing information in minutes, not hours…. we’ll work for you, so you aren’t looking for a needle in a haystack…. quickly find and fix problems with your family history.”

How does this work? Kinpoint creates a fan chart with you as the center circle and your ancestors fanning out for as many generations are you want. The information populating this chart comes directly from your Family Search account.  

It’s easy to obtain a FamilySearch account, just log in to www.familysearch.org and create one….. and then upload your tree, in whatever genealogy program you have it, to FamilySearch.

I could go on for paragraphs but you must click to www.kinpoint.com and try it for yourself.

Cost? A “whopping” $2.50 a month………. and if you sign-up really soon that price is locked in for life. Such a deal.

Please do check this out; you will be happy with the results and glad that you took the time. I promise!

Puget Sound Genealogical Society’s Obituary Records Team Named Outstanding Volunteers

by Roxanne Lowe

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized more than 400 outstanding volunteers, 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 2014 award recipients and learn why they received the 2014 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

LadenbergerPhoto

Nancy Ladenberger

MenchentonPhoto

Jeanne Menchenton

CameraShy

Beverly Nelson

Today we’re introducing the Puget Sound Genealogical Society’s Obituary Records Project Team, which included Jeanne Menchenton, Beverly Nelson and Nancy Ladenberger. The team was recognized for their outstanding support and work in the preservation of important records of genealogical value to the PSGS and other researchers interested in the families of Kitsap County, Washington.

Over the course of the last 12 years, these three individuals were the primary volunteers who collected over 40,500 obituaries from newspapers and other local sources. After clipping each obituary, attaching it to an index card and storing it in a plastic sleeve, the cards were alphabetized, labeled, checked for accuracy and stored in a large card catalog cabinet.

After completion of this portion of the project, the team created a database of each obituary with the name, date of death, publication name and date and any extra information that could be helpful to a researcher. The information was then posted on the PSGS website.

While many volunteers spent time on this project over the years, these three – Jeanne, Beverly and Nancy, were committed to finishing this project. Due to their dedication and tireless work, they richly deserved being recipients of a 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.