Kittitas County’s Diane Huckabay Promotes Genealogy

by Roxanne Lowe
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Genealogy display at Ellensburg Public Library

Diane Huckabay,  President of the Kittitas County Genealogical Society, has become the driving force behind a new opportunity for local library visitors to learn about genealogy and family  history research. Every Friday afternoon for the next couple of months at the Ellensburg Public Library, Diane is helping those interested in genealogical research. At her first session, Diane discussed family group sheets and pedigree charts. In addition, she provided resources and encouragement to those attending.

According to the library’s press release, one-on-one research consultations are also available to more experienced visitors and visitors with specific research questions. In addition to promoting genealogy and family history, Diane is encouraging interested visitors to attend the upcoming WSGS Conference at the Quality Inn in Ellensburg on Saturday, June 27, 2015.

There are preliminary plans, if successful in Ellensburg, to expand the family history research opportunity to neighboring libraries. The Ellensburg Public Library is located at 209 N. Ruby Street.

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Upcoming Meetings

by Charles Hansen
May 28 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Jun 11 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “Finding & Using Historic Newspapers” by Claudia Breland
Jun 18-19 8 am-
8 pm		 Coffee Stop I-5 Toutle Exit South bound
Jun 25 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Aug 13 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “Adoption: Here I am, but just where did I come from?” by Darlene Wilson
Aug 27 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Sep 10 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “To be Announced” By xxxxxx
Sep 24 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Oct 08 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “Gathering Your Family Stories” By Lola Weber
Oct 22 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Oct 31 10 am Computer Interest Group Somerset Apartments
Nov 12 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “To be Announced” By xxxxxx
Nov 19 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Dec 10 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome Installation of officers. An evening of holiday socializing. Program to assist the “CAP” by Alan Rose


General Meetings are held at Somerset Retirement Apartments dining room,  2025 Tibbetts Drive, Longview, WA and are open to the public. Visitors are always welcome. Please join us, and bring along a friend.

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 472   Longview, WA 98632-7306   – Contact us

Mary Simonsen Honored as Outstanding Volunteer in 2014

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 weeks, you will be introduced to each of the 2014 award recipients and learn why they received the 2014 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Today we’re introducing Mary Bybee Simonsen of Pullman, Washington, who was nominated by the Whitman County Genealogical Society (WCGS). She was recognized for her outstanding efforts in the identification and preservation of historical documents of importance and value to researchers interested in the Whitman County Area.

Simonsen_Photo

Mary Simonsen

Since 1997, Ms. Simonsen has spent hundreds of hours volunteering for WCGS projects. She has worked on small projects such as transcribing vital records (birth, death, divorce, marriage), obituaries, and homestead patents as reported in the Pullman Herald and other newspapers. She has also worked on big projects, including transcribing the 1883, 1885, and 1887 Whitman County Territory censuses, and the 1890 Whitman County Veterans census. She also played a major role in the transcription of the 1910 Whitman County census.

Ms. Simonsen also assisted with the transcription of the Whitman County Death Register, and early marriage and probate records. She has indexed various publications not only for the WCGS, but also for the Whitman County Historical Society.

Ms. Simonsen’s dedication to enable the public to access these records demonstrated that she richly deserved this recognition in 2014.

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.

More from Ancestry: Ancestry Academy

by Charles Hansen

Thought that since we started last week with some Big News from Ancestry, I would continue this week with more Big News from them.

Would you like to attend a free online lecture chosing from a dozen topics presented by Ancestry?

The Ancestry Academy is then the choice for you! Click to https://academy.ancestry.com/academy


There you will find the list of courses available to you. Most are 45-60 minutes in length, doable in one session (if you’ve been “down the hall” and have a water bottle and some snacks).

I could list all the topics but new topics are being added monthly so any list posted here would soon be incomplete.

Does it seem to you, like it does seem to me, that Ancestry is getting more and more worthwhile and worthy of our subscription? Yes, the Ancestor Discoveries ( explained last blog on May 11th) and this Ancestry Academy are free to us, but of course they all will point to using the Ancestry database. We cannot and we should not expect everything in genealogy to be free to us; some things are just worth the money.

Get started in using, understanding and appreciating Ancestry by sitting in your ‘jammies and watching an online presentation of your choice……. since they’re free, I advise taking two!

 

May 18, 1980 — Where Were You?

by Roxanne Lowe

Do you remember where you were 35 years ago — May 18,1980? David Rencher sure does!

David, FamilySearch’s chief genealogical officer and featured speaker at next month’s WSGS Conference  in Ellensburg, was in Yakima visiting family. He remembers that day clearly as  a mushroom-shaped column of ash from Mt. St. Helens, 90 miles away, rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as dark gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. Yakima received 4 – 5 inches of ash that morning.

We don’t expect another eruption during the 2015 WSGS Conference in Ellensburg, so we hope to see you there! Register now!

Dollarhide Coming to TriCity Genealogical Society

by Roxanne Lowe

William Dollarhide is on tour so you don’t want to miss him. He has a couple of seminars scheduled on the west side of the state, but on 12 September 2015 he will be in the TriCities. His Traveling Through Time topics will be Dollarhide’s Five Rules, American Migration Routes from 1750-1800, Civil War Genealogy, and Finding Living Relatives Online.

For more information about, and to register for, the TriCity Genealogical Society Traveling Through Time fall seminar go to http://www.tricitygenealogicalsociety.org/wiki/doku.php

 

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Medal Needs A Home

by Roxanne Lowe

TriCity Genealogical Society member, Art Kelly, has a relic that he purchased at an antique store. He would like to find the relic’s family and return it to them. Can you help?

C.W. Gillespie was the Grand Patriarch of the 42nd Annual Grand Encampment of Washington IOOF in Wenatchee in 1925. Please share this information and help us find this relic’s rightful home.

Contact Art Kelly at summerfest.44 at gmail.com for more information.20150512_120736

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen
TIP OF THE WEEK – A WONDERFUL SPOOF OF THE “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” TELEVISION SERIES

Who Do They Think They Are? is a hilarious Aussie spoof of Who Do You Think You Are?, the television program sponsored by and prominently featuring Ancestry.com.  Created by The Checkout, an Australian television program, it’s less than 6 minutes long, and will be appreciated by anyone familiar with the American version, whether fan or foe of this series.
It satirizes the Who Do You Think You Are? series, Ancestry.com, DNA testing, and trying to find genealogy information only on the Internet.
It also delivers a serious message about the proper methods of searching one’s family tree.
Check it out at https://youtu.be/C61tKCkR8Nk.

Seattle Genealogical Society Upcoming Events

by Charles Hansen
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.

Saturday, May 16, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm     IRISH INTEREST GROUP
Saturday, May 16,  1:00 pm – 3:00 pm       GERMAN INTEREST GROUP
Both sessions feature available research resources. Leader: Jean A. Roth

Sunday, May 17, 11:30 am–4:00 pm
ETHNIC SERIES-GERMAN-RUSSIA WORKSHOP
New resources, online sites, and organizations for the Germans from Russia now available to researchers.  Leader: Jean A. Roth, President of the Greater Seattle Chapter of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia; and speaker Carolyn Schott of the Black Sea Germans group.)

Saturday, May 23 – Monday, May 25 –
 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND – SGS Closed

Monday, June 1, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm  VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DAY
Invitation-only event. The SGS library is open for volunteers who have donated 75 hours or more to our organization. Lunch and Dinner will be provided. Come and enjoy research time and congeniality.

Saturday, June 6, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm
CANADIAN INTEREST GROUP, Leader: David Robert

Saturday, June 6, 1:00 pm
SGS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
See lead article, above for details.

Tuesday, June 9, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
PROGRAM MEETING: Family Research and the Law   
Come learn how various historical federal and state laws regarding marriage, taxes, etc. apply to your ancestors’ life stories. Leader: Cary Lynn Bright, SGS Member and a Genealogy and the Law Study Group panelist – 2015

Wednesday, June 10, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
BRICK WALL SESSION
Come discuss your problems and we’ll share research suggestions. Leader:
Jean A. Roth

Wednesday, June 10, 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

Sunday, June 14, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
NAVIGATING FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
Learn some important tips to utilize the many aspects of this major search engine. Go beyond the simple “fill-in” name boxes.  Bring your laptops, or tablets if you have them. Leader is long-time SGS member Sally Gene Mahoney.

Sunday, June 21 – FATHERS DAY – SGS Closed

Saturday, June 27, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
SGS DNA Interest Group   
Location change for this meeting only – Seattle Genealogical Society Library – 6200 Sand Point Way NE.  This meeting will review new discoveries in DNA testing and focus on learning to analyze your Autosomal DNA testing results.  To be added to our email list, contact sgsdnasig@gmail.com

Sunday, June 28, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
ETHNIC SERIES: SCOTTISH and SCOTS-IRISH WORKSHOP
Leader: Patricia Younie, Clan coordinator and historian will discuss researching these two different groups from Scotland and Ireland that were important early settlers in North America.

HELP WANTED

Saturday, July 25 and Sunday. July 26 SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES – Enumclaw, WA
SGS will have a booth and offer genealogical help. We need volunteers for both days for two hour sessions. A ticket to the games will be provided. Please contact Jean A. Roth at jeanaroth@juno.com as we must obtain tickets early.