Let’s Talk About: Summer Jokes

by Donna Phillips

JOKE: A Russian and a Czech bear scientists came to the Rocky Mountains to study bears; they chose the mating season, a bad time for bear encounters. They were warned about the dangers but headed off into the woods anyway. After four days with no word from them, the rangers followed their tracks. They found a female Grizzly bear; shot her and opened her up and sure enough, inside was the Russian guy. So, said one ranger to the other….. ARE YOU READY?  “The Czech must be in the male.”  

*** *** *** ***

This from a newspaper clipping of which I did not note the paper nor the date, sorry:  “Denver, Colo. March 6 —  “Here is a dead man,” was the comment made by a parcel post clerk here as he held up to the view of his fellow clerks a package nine inches square and weighing seven pounds.

The package contained the ashes of Edward E. Knotts of California, who died here a few days ago following an attack of appendicitis. The package was addressed to the widow, Mrs. Ada Knotts, San Francisco. It cost 51cents and bore a ten-cent insurance stamp.”

Just for fun, I did a bit of research to learn more about Edward and Ada Knotts but found nothing. If it’s your family, do go for it!

Let’s Talk About: Washtucna, a Tiny Town

by Donna Phillips

Thanks to an article in The Spokesman Review last April, I learned about a tiny town in the southeastern corner of Adams county that has a great big heart. 

Folks are trying their best to save their piece of Washington history, the Bassett Hardware building, which is 125 years old, according to the folks at the Washtucna Heritage Museum and Community Center. Michelle Plumb, officer in that society, shared “I don’t know how many things in this area are that old. It would just break our heart to lose this building.”

Built in the town’s center in 1901 by George W. Bassett, the building has survived through “boom and bust, storm and sunshine” and remains a fixture of the town’s frontier past. “The upper part of the building was always some sort of community space,” Plum said. Several fraternal organizations held their meetings there over the decades. In the 1910s and 1920s, plays and movies were shown there. 

Fear not, lovers of old historic buildings. This building has been placed on the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of Most Endangered Places which hopefully will guarantee its future.

Why the spotlight today on an old building in a nobody-knows-where town? Because the people who built the place, used the place and loved the place are collectively all our ancestors. That’s why. 

Website www.FindAGrave.com has this photo of GWB and information on his family. He was a pioneer for many. He and his wife Alice were parents of seven children. 

Heritage Quest Research Library July Happenings

by Charles Hansen

From Heritage Quest Research Library on 2026-07-02 06:25

HQRL Happenings July 2026 Happy Fourth of July Holiday



Upcoming Events
HQRL Class
Thursday, July 9
Top 10 Tips for Using AI effectively in Genealogy:
Unlocking New Possibilities 
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Heritage Quest Research Library (Classroom & Zoom)
Join Diane Henriks to learn how to integrate Artificial Intelligence tools into your research workflows confidently and ethically.


Wednesday July 15
Management Team Meeting
12 noon – 2 pm
HQRL Class Room and Zoom


Thursday, July 23
HQRL Class
Norwegians in America 
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Heritage Quest Research Library (Classroom & Zoom)
Join Eleanor Brinsko to learn about Norwegian immigrant ports of entrance, newspapers, Norwegian settlements in America and strategies to track
your ancestors.
Register in the HQRL Store, $20+tax and $25+tax for non-members.
HQRL classroom in-person (limit of 8 persons) or via zoom – a zoom link will be sent to your email 1-2 days before the class along with any handouts. see flyer

Celebrating Our Roots
A Spectacular Evening of History and Heritage
Our recent heritage event was an absolute triumph, bringing history to life through vibrant storytelling, stunning period attire, and a shared passion for genealogy.


Thanks to Roger Pasquier, who stepped up to serve as our emcee. Roger did a phenomenal job keeping everyone involved and ensured the program moved as smoothly as possible. When he wasn’t at the podium, he was out in the crowd, mingling with guests, sharing laughs, and making new friends feel right at home.


Guests were treated to a truly unique experience when Vern Frykholm took the floor in full dress as General George Washington. He captivated the audience with a detailed outline of the Washington family tree—a fitting topic for our genealogy community! Afterward, “the General” mingled with the crowd, graciously answering history questions. The most adorable moments of the evening came when he politely bowed to the ladies who paused to speak with him, bringing true 18th-century chivalry to the room.


We were also honored to welcome our guest speaker from the Daughters of the American Revolution Pam Gassman, Mary Ball DAR Chapter, Tacoma, who looked stunning in her lovely colonial dress and gave a talk about her own research of her family history. Adding to the authenticity of the event, several of our own HQRL ladies donned beautiful costumes mirroring late 18th-century fashion. Their dedication to historical accuracy truly transported us all back in time and made the celebration unforgettable.

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and dressed up to make this event such a resounding success!
 
Many thanks also to M.Hajler Photography, Lakewood, WA, who donated her time and did an excellent job of capturing the many features  that made this event so successful. 


All in all it, our very first dinner-auction was a noteworthy success and great fun. At last estimate we raised over $11,000 for the library.  
  
Heritage Quest Research Library | 2102 East Main Ave Suite 105 | Puyallup, WA 98372 US

America at 250 Hugh McManus

by Charles Hansen

Revolutionary War soldier, Lt. Hugh McManus, was an ancestor of Jan Wells. He served South Carolina. He served for 206 days as Private and 161 days as a Lieutenant in the Militia receiving 81 pounds, 3 shillings and six pence three farthings sterling. For a mare used in 1780 and 1781 for 193 days, he received 69 pounds and 15 shillings sterling on May 19th, 1785.

He was born in 1747 in Northampton County, South Carolina to Capt. James M. McManus and Mary Frohock Rollins. He married Mary Elizabeth “Betsey” Campbell in 1770 in Chesterfield, SC. She was born in 1752.

Their children were John (married Rebecca Terrell), Nancy (married Henry Yater), Elizabeth, Jane, Robert Thomas (married Mary Polly Cain), Sarah Sally, Rebecca (married Albert Arthur Stacks), Tabitha Floyd (married Joseph York), Pleasant, and Samuel (married Martha A. Evans).

He died in 1831 in Chesterfield, SC and is buried in the Old Mount Olive Cemetery in Chesterfield county, SC.

Hugh’s DAR ancestor number is A078145. He has 12 female descendants who were DAR members.

Jan Wells is a member of the Mason County Genealogical Society

Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society Oregon Trail Collection

by Charles Hansen

Dear Members and Friends, 

This month is a milestone for history preservation, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Museum and the William G. Dick Library uploaded two very special databases that is in the interest of  both historical and genealogical research. 
Long time coming, with a grant from the City of The Dalles, the photo archive and the Oregon – California Trail Inscription Database is now online and is available for the public. 

Over 30,000 photos from the Wasco County Pioneer Association and thousands of donated photos from area residents and journalists and the Jim Henderson Oregon – California Trail Emigrant Inscription Collection with over 5,000 trail inscriptions from Missouri to Oregon. We hope everyone will enjoy and utilize these in their family research. 




Links to these databases  – 

https://www.gorgediscovery.org/oregon-trail-collection

https://www.gorgediscovery.org/photo-archives

America at 250 William Tatum

by Charles Hansen

Revolutionary War soldier, William Tatum (Tatom)Sr., served Virginia in the war. He was in the 3rd regiment of Capt. John Ashby’s company under Commander Col. Marshall and Lieut. John Tibbs. He was on the payroll for July 1777 as a private receiving 6 2/3 dollars for the month for pay. He received Bounty Land Grant No. 1472 for 274 acres in North Carolina on Dec. 17, 1802. His pension number was W2270.

He was born on January 11, 1760, in St. George Parish, Spotsylvania County, Virginia to Stephen Tatum and Mourning Melton. He married first Margaret Wright on December 29, 1781, in Granville, NC, and 2nd wife was widow Mrs. Mary “Polly” Wright on October 27, 1813, in Dickson Co., TN.

His children were Richard (married Levina Hartley), William (married Elizabeth Rose Richardson), Nancy (married Thomas Griffin Dedmon), John C.(married Delila), Benjamin Marshall (married Sarah Dotson), James (married Ann Baker), Ann Shilby (married James A. Tatom), George William (married Sarah Logan), Genetta (married George L. Smith), and Thomas Richardson (married Martha Jane Hudson and Winnie Fredonia).

He died on September 24, 1847, at age 87 in “Tatom Hollow” in Dickson, Dickson County, TN. He was buried in the Tatum-Coleman Cemetery in Houston County (previously Dickson County), TN.

His DAR number is A208894. He has 4 female descendants who were DAR members.

Jan Wells is member of the Mason County Genealogical Society

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Monthly Education Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Monthly Educational Meeting
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, starting at 6:00 pm


This month’s presentation: Free RootsTech 2026 video presented by David Ouimette titled FamilySearch Full-Text Search – Your Golden Path to Ancestral Discovery.

“In this session, we show how FamilySearch applies generative AI to read historical handwriting and produce complete transcripts of billions of pages of historical manuscripts in a variety languages and scripts. We describe how FamilySearch identifies names, dates, and places in the text distilled from these documents. We then demonstrate techniques for searching the resulting full text by keyword, name, date, and place. We show how to leverage filter and search features in tandem so that you can readily find the records that reveal your ancestors and tell their stories. Sponsored by FamilySearch”

This month’s meeting will be Zoom Only until we can find a new physical location to meet in person.

Attend virtually via Zoom:
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZIqduGpqjgsHtBNs9zc8CGna6R-KHlcz5so/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGuqToiG9CWth2DRpwAB4j4WevwiHZdgrd_sgy8GSMLQST4N7Rwf5lXHNvK

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86718143644?pwd=S0FjYU5acVVKbDEyamdXWWZVekFjdz09
Meeting ID: 867 1814 3644
Passcode: 630507

One tap mobile
+12532050468,,86718143644#,,,,*630507# US
+12532158782,,86718143644#,,,,*630507# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location

        +1 253 205 0468 US
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 867 1814 3644
Passcode: 630507

Let’s Talk About: Yesterday’s Swimsuits

by Donna Phillips

This was an ad in The Spokesman Review from days long, long ago. If you cannot read it, here goes:

First Showing of Bathing Suits

Tomorrow we place on sale our new line of ladies’ misses’ and children’s bathing suits. The line includes many new styles never shown before. Come in mohairs, brilliantines and the new jersey goods that is all the rage this season. Suits have the new collars and staple sailor collars and the new vestee effects. Come in tans, browns, red, black and blues, trimmed with braid. 

Prices for ladies’ suits…. $6.60 to $2.75

Misses’ and children’s………. $4.00 to $2.50

Children’s One Piece Suits….. All sizes from 2 to 6, in blue, at…. $1.50

Bathing caps… $1.00 to 25cents

Bathing shoes…. 50 cents

Aren’t you shaking your head and saying good grief?? Can you imagine “bathing”…… which really meant wading in perhaps to your waist, never jumping in……. wearing a woolen dress and SHOES? And of course black stockings, heaven forbid bare legs would be viewed. Did you catch that they’re not called “swimming suits?” 

This is a photo of my great-grandmother, Viola Belle Evans Gurney, 1872-1962, and was labeled “her school outing.” She’s the fourth from left, dark hair with braid-bun. 

No wonder they didn’t jump in and swim around! They’d surly have drowned in those heavy “bathing suits.” 

Let’s Talk About: George Washington’s Flag

by Donna Phillips


Would you have guessed that General George Washington had his own personal flag? Well, he surely did.

His flag, known as the Commander-in-Chief Standard, marked his location on the battlefield and at his headquarters. The flag features 13 white, six-pointed stars representing the original colonies arranged on a faded blue silk background.

One of his original flags still survives. It measures roughly 27-inches by 35-inches; the six-pointed stars (unlike the five-pointed stars on our U.S. flag) mimics the English heraldic designs found on Washington’s military epaulets. The blue background was chosen because it was the same color he used for the sash and ribbons that designated his rank. 

If you would like to see the original of General George Washington’s flag, you will have to visit the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Here is what it now looks like, faded with time:

Thanks to the Flag Museum in Spokane and Google for the information and images.

South King County Genealogical Society July 2026

by Charles Hansen

July to early August with South King County Genealogical Society

Happy Summer! 

SKCGS Members would usually find the playback access code for Steven W. Morrison’s presentation at the end of this email. However, Steve unfortunately was at the hospital rather than speaking to us, so we have agreed to reschedule when he has recovered.  You will find a code of the recording of the chat we had in Steve’s absence which was an interesting discussion.

 *if you expected to find the code but do not see it, your SKCGS Membership has expired. Renew on our website: https://www.skcgs.org/support-skcgs/membership

Most of our small meetings continue through summer; our Speaker Series will resume in September. Write to Education@skcgs with suggestions or even better, volunteer to join the team planning our education year, contacting possible speakers, and arranging their talks.  

Stay connected! Get updates on our virtual and in-person events, plus the latest genealogy news and tips, by subscribing (free) to the online group at https://skcgs.groups.io

Skcgs.groups.io is the SKCGS online platform for discussion and information sharing:

  • we communicate and share information with each other
  • other than your email, you are not required to provide personal information
  • you can unsubscribe or change your email format at any time

PROGRAM UPDATES

All meetings are online except the in-person Research Group and Genealogy Help at KCLS Auburn, Federal Way, and Renton Main library branches. 

Live transcription (captioning) is available during our Zoom meetings by request.

Online meeting participants need to register for SKCGS Zoom meetings. Upon registration, Zoom will send a confirmation email with instructions on joining the meeting. https://www.skcgs.org

JULY to Early AUGUST 2026 MEETINGS & EVENTS

All meetings are Pacific Time (PT) zone

Register at https://www.skcgs.org for all meetings unless otherwise stated.

Saturday, July 4:  Independence Day. No FamilyTree Maker meeting; KCLS closed.

No July SKCGS Board Meeting. Email Board@skcgs.org with concerns.

Wednesday, July 8, 2 – 3pm PT: WikiTree Users (Online). Topic: Leveraging the FamilySearch Family Tree to improve Wikitree Ancestor Profiles. Begin by improving the FSFT profile and ensure that all appropriate records are linked to each family member. Merge duplicate profiles if necessary, and unlink mistaken records. Then use Sourcer to create or improve the WT profile and the FSFT Sources tab to gather all the free source-cited records for each Wikitree profile. You can also link <WT<>FSFT profiles in both so researchers can jump back and forth. Wikitree Users collaborate to create the best collaborative tree on Earth. Join our free online group: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Wikitree-SIG. 

Thursday, July 9, 11am – 1pm PT: Genealogy Help with SKCGS at Renton Main Library (In-person). 100 Mill Avenue S, Renton, WA. 

Monday, July 13, 1–2pm PT: Genetic Genealogy/DNA Interest Group (Online). email group for meeting notices and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Genetic-Genealogy. Topic: Collaboration with DNA Matches &  Other Relatives. Bring your experiences and suggestions about where to find these groups. 

Thursday , July 16: EGS German Interest Group will celebrate its 40th Anniversary in our old location in Bellevue.  Significant others are invited. Details: email GIG_Leader@eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org

Thursday , July Jul 16: Genealogy Help with SKCGS (In-person)  Genealogy questions? SKCGS offers one-on-one help with a volunteer.

  • 11am-1pm: Auburn Library: 1102 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA
  • 2-4pm:  Federal Way Main Library: 34200 1st Way S, Federal Way, WA

Monday, July 20, 1–2pm: Tech Users Group (Online). Topic: Find Your Tribe. Back in the day, your local genealogical or historical society meetings were where you found your friends, research and even travel partners. Now that so much is virtual/online, where do we find like-minded folks with whom to collaborate? Bring suggestions. Start with SKCGS and your kin, then look at some of these sites:

Monday, July 27, 1–2pm: Genealogy Chat (Online) Meet up and chat about genealogy subjects and topics. We have no agenda; we just like one another.

Monday, August 10, 1:00 – 2:00pm PT: Genetic Genealogy/DNA Interest Group (Online).  Topic: Research  at Family Tree DNA if You Did Not Test There.

1. Test someone else! or upload for someone else with permission

2. Upload your autosomal raw data from another testing company

3. Get permission from a family member to see their kit results

4. Upload to Gedmatch and/or MitoYdna.org to compare results with FTDNA testers

5. Connect your DNA tests to your Wikitree profile for hints to matches; Geni profiles can also link.

6. Use public Y DNA Project data at FTDNA and/or Wikitree

7 Check mail lists at Groups.io, GoogleGroups, & Substack

We are genealogists who use DNA data as part of their research. Join the free email group for meeting notices and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Genetic-Genealogy

Wednesday, August 12, 2–3 pm: WikiTree Users: Topic: Wikitree Goals through 2026. How can we help one another make our part of Wikitree the best? Let’s share profiles and learn together.mWikitree Users collaborate to create the best collaborative tree on Earth. Join our free online group: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Wikitree-SIG.

MEMBERSHIP:  We welcome guests to our meetings and special interest groups, which are free. Naturally we hope that visitors will want to become members. Support like yours helps us to educate and engage with our community to foster interest in family and local history. You can find more information about membership at our website at https://www.skcgs.org/support-skcgs/membership.

You are receiving this email because you have attended a SKCGS meeting and indicated you would like to receive periodic notice of events. If you would like to be removed from our list and stop receiving emails from us, send an email to skcgsfriends+unsubscribe@skcgs.org.

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SOUTH KING COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY