Shirley Penna-Oakes 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 months, 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 Shirley Penna-Oakes of Tum Tum, Washington, who was nominated by the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (EWGS). She was recognized for her leadership, knowledge, and volunteer efforts toward the goals and operation of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (EWGS).

Shirley Penna-Oakes

Shirley Penna-Oakes

Ms. Penna-Oakes has been an outstanding member of EWGS and several other genealogical societies over the years. She has been President and Vice President of EWGS; Cascade Genealogical Society, Montana; and the Stillaguamish Genealogical Society, Arlington, Washington. She has also been a WSGS Regional Representative for Districts 1 and 7, as well as Chair of the WSGS Conference in Everett in 1992. She worked on EWGS’s “State Fair” and their “Walking with Ancestors” from 2010 to 2014. She served as EWGS’s Outreach/Educational chairman from 2010 – 2011, and was the founder/director of the Elizabeth Doherty Genealogical Library.

Ms. Penna-Oakes has published 16 surname and query books and lectures in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California. She is an outstanding volunteer at the EWGS and richly deserved being a recipient 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.

TriCities Gen Soc News Flash

by Charles Hansen

Susan Faulker, Education Chair for TCGS, shares this update:

Trailhead Now Open at Richland Family History Center

 

In Richard Allen’s presentation that he gave April 8 and titled “A Treasure Trove of Family History Information” he provided a wonderful analogy. He explained that genealogists’ Treasure Troves are articles and documents that provide them with information about their ancestors. In true pirate fashion Richard explained that in order to locate a treasure a treasure-map is necessary. Genealogists can use the Family History Library Catalog athttps://familysearch.org/catalog-search as their treasure map. This treasure map will actually guide researchers to treasures located at the Richland Family History Center. There are over 10,000 treasures located at the Richland Family History Center and they will soon all be listed in the catalog.

 

Richard also explained that changes would be coming soon to the Richland Family History Center. One of the changes that he announced is that a Conversation Area would be made available to help facilitate conversations between researchers and library assistants. Within a week of Richard’s announcement the Conversation Area was completed.

 

Sandra Meacham Floberg shared, “Although I knew about the passports required for traveling through ‘Indian Territory’ in the South and Southeast in the early 1800s, I had no idea RFHC had a book documenting those passports!” Now these Indian Territory passports and many more treasures can be located at the Richland Family History Center. If you need assistance, start at the trailhead which is also known as the Conversation Area.

 

Other changes coming to the Richland Family History Center include a computer lab, complete with a teaching station and twelve hands-on computers for classroom attendees. Watch for announcements about this computer lab activity and additional upgrades coming to your local Family History Center.

Bainbridge Island Gen Soc News Flash

by Charles Hansen

Bainbridge Island

 

Stephen Morse photo

The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) is bringing Stephen P. Morse to local genealogists.  Morse, creator of the One-Step Website at www.stevemorse.org, has received many awards for the One-Step Website, including the Award of Merit from the National Genealogical Society, and the Excellence Award from the Association of Professional Genealogists.

 

On Friday, May 15, Morse will be giving two presentations for BIGS at the Bainbridge Island Library, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.  The first, From DNA To Genetic Genealogy:  Everything You Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask, introduces genes, chromosomes, and DNA, and goes on to show how DNA is inherited.  That knowledge of inheritance can be used for finding relatives you didn’t know you had, learning about your very distant ancestors and the route they traveled, and determining if you are a Jewish high priest (Kohan).  Examples presented include Genghis Khan’s legacy, the Thomas Jefferson affair, and the Anastasia mystery.

 

The second presentation is entitled Genealogy Beyond The Y Chromosome:  Autosomes Exposed.  Classical genetic genealogy deals with the Y chromosome and the mitochondrial DNA.  The Y chromosome test is for males only and traces the direct male lineage.  The mitochondrial DNA test is for everybody and traces the direct female lineage.   Recent advances in genetic genealogy make it possible to trace all lineages by testing the autosomes.  Although the autosomes can be used to find ethnic mixes as well as recent cousins, it has some limitations.

 

Among his accomplishments Morse is a computer professional with a doctorate in electrical engineering and is known in that field as architect of the Intel 8086 chip, which sparked the PC revolution.  

 

For more information and updates on lectures offered in the months ahead, check the website of the Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society at www.bigenealogy.org.  Meetings are free to members; a $5.00 donation is suggested for nonmembers.  BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.

 

WSGS Has Productive Board Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Most all the members of the Washington State Genealogical Society’s Board of Directors (which included the Regional Reps) met last weekend (25-26 April 2015) in Yakima in the fabulous library of the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society.

P1110651 (640x480)

P1110657 (480x640)

 

We all volunteer our time, travel and money needed to attend these meetings and we do it because we believe in WSGS and what the organization can do for YOU and for YOUR SOCIETY. 

Some of these things are:  We offer grants to member societies for their projects; we offer recogniation to society members who render outstanding service; we partner with a society to plan a conference somewhere in the area; we offer Education & Outreach help to all member socieites; we offer a speakers’ list from which member societies can pick a speaker for their programs; we offer a blog which brings you the latest doings of societies within the area….. and the newest thing is that the blog will accept queries pertaining to the Pacific Northwest. 

We enjoy the work, the company and the treats at lunch….  Opal Meyers is in her 80s but still serves as a WSGS Regional Rep and brings the most awesome potato salad and treats!

P1110660 (480x640)

Clark County Genealogical Society Classes

by Charles Hansen

SPRING CCGS CLASSES

NEW DATE FOR LEAPING THE POND – April 28; see below.

FREE BEGINNING CLASSES
Getting Started Tracing Your Family Tree with Larry Dean Saturday, May 2, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon. This class will be held in the CCGS Education Center.

REGULAR CLASSES
All regular classes will be held in the CCGS Education Center, 715 Grand Blvd, Vancouver, WA. Fee for each class: $12.00 members, $15.00 Non-Members. Fee can be paid with registration or at the door. Exact cash amount or check at the door is appreciated. Although walk-ins won’t be turned away, if you want to take a class, please register at least a week in advance. Classes with insufficient registration one week in advance will be cancelled. Those registered will be notified and any fee paid will be refunded. To register for a class, see the registration form on the website http://ccgs-wa.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d43d7894b8591a05db4fa440b&id=5f249b4781&e=b278fc7627

Leaping the Pond: strategies for locating your ancestors pre-America Tuesday, April 28th, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Instructor: Brian Runyan
Sooner or later we’re all going to discover ancestors who did not originate in North America. As comfortable as we might get researching in the good ol’ U S of A, it’s a whole different ballgame when we try to “cross the pond”, any pond. How they get here? From where did they sail? Where did they live prior to setting sail? Brian will take us through some strategies for answering these questions. Brian started “doing” genealogy back in the “lick a stamp and pray” days of the 1970s. After a 40 year hiatus, he picked it up with a vengeance in 2012. Wow, talk about future shock! He says, “I got more done in the first three months than I had been able to accomplish in six years, previously”. Brian is currently serving as the Chair of the Education Committee at CCGS.

INTRODUCTION TO GENEALOGY CLASS IN BATTLE GROUND
Battle Ground Fort Vancouver Regional Library at 6:30pm, June 22nd. They are located at 1207 SE 8th Way, Battle Ground, WA. Instructor: Brian Runyan
UPCOMING WEBINARS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 11:00am, CCGS Annex. Discussion to follow
Using Legacy with Specialized Studies – Legacy is for more than your family history by Tessa Keough
Specialized studies take many forms – whether it is a one-name (surname) study, a one-place (location) study, or a cemetery, church or school survey. These projects often have us “reinventing the wheel” as we try to come up with a method for entering and using our data. Why reinvent the wheel when you can use Legacy? Join Tessa Keough as she shows you how she uses Legacy for more than her family history. We will discuss some tips and suggestions for using Legacy’s well-known and lesser-known features with your specialized studies and projects. Whether you are simply thinking about a project, have just gotten started, or are taking a second look at your approach and software, there will be something for everyone.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 11:00am, CCGS Annex. Discussion to follow
Genealogy 101, a 3-Session Course iLegacy Webinar: Beginning Genealogy – Part 2 by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen
Session 2 – Using Compiled Sources. There are many opportunities to view what has been researched before. Some of those collections include compiled genealogies and heritage books, and online compilations. We will look at some ways to discover if the previous research is credible and can aid in our own family history research.

Friday, May 8, 2015, 11:00am, CCGS Annex. Discussion to follow
Legacy Webinar: After You’re Gone – Future-Proofing Your Genealogy Research (for annual/monthly webinar subscribers) by Thomas MacEntee
Have you ever considered what will happen to your years of genealogy research once you’re gone? Learn how to ensure that your hard work carries on. Through a combination of planning, common sense, and new technologies, we’ll review how to create an action plan for preserving your genealogy research.

Marlene Payne 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 months, 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 Marlene Whiteman Payne of Elma, Washington, who was nominated by the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society (GHGS). She was recognized for her dedication in identifying and preserving historical documents of importance and value related to families and locations in Grays Harbor County, Washington.

Marlene Payne

Marlene Payne

Ms. Payne has been tireless in her efforts to collect Grays Harbor records, generously donating her research and documents to the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society’s research library. To date, the GHGS library holds more than 200 volumes of records, donated by Ms. Payne, including funeral records, cemetery records, birth and death certificates, especially focused on East Grays Harbor County.

Ms. Payne is the GHGS’s behind-the-scenes archivist. For all she researched, preserved and donated, she richly deserved being a recipient 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.

Eastside Gen Society News Flash

by Charles Hansen

 

EGS

The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, May 14, 2015 in the Bellevue Regional Library, Room 1, 1111 – 110th Ave NE, Bellevue 98004 at 7pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm for networking. Topic: What’s Happening on the Internet? Speaker: A panel of EGS Members About the Program: A panel of EGS members will discuss what’s happening on the Internet that genealogists might want to know about. This includes both new internet sites such as myheritage.com as well as new genealogical material on existing sites. This will be a highly interactive discussion with the audience. There are a lot of interesting things going on, with many new websites and databases. Acquisition of existing genealogy sites by Ancestry, for example, is a great discussion topic. How many of us realize that Ancestry’s family now includes AncestryDNA, Archives.com, Family Tree Maker, Find a Grave, Fold3, Genealogy.com, Genline, Heritage Makers, Newspapers.com, Progenealogists, Rootsweb, Shoebox, as well as 7 different Ancestry websites in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and United Kingdom? To say nothing of the fact that if you already have a subscription to Ancestry you may be able subscribe some of the other Ancestry owned websites at a greatly reduced cost? Please join us for the interactive and informative discussion. 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.

“History Is Everywhere…………”

by Charles Hansen

Browsing recently in a book titled, Discovering Washington: A Guide to State and Local History, by Petersen & Reed, 1989.

aaaaa

The intro to Section III was especially interesting to me and I share it with you here:

“History is everywhere. It is in the landscape; those who understand geography and know how to interpret land forms can discover much about a region’s past without ever opening a book. History is also found in the type of fence that a farmer built and the kinds of outbuildings he constructed. It is hidden in the architectural style of a family’s house. History can be learned by simply walking down mail street and observing the architecture of a community’s commercial district.

“Though history is all around us, eventually every researcher must discover where to find written records that describe the past. Every community—no matter how small—has rich resources awaiting those who take the time to uncover these treasures. Too often, researchers in local history examine only the guides to major archival and manuscript depositories. Failing to find what they want, they then abandon their quest, believing that further investigation would prove fruitless.

“Confining one’s research to major libraries and archives can be successful only if the work focuses on a major historic figure or on an event of national or regional significance. But for most writers of local istory, relying exclusively on document collections at university libraries or other major research centers will probably lead to a dead end. Local historians must be imaginative; they need to remember that most records relating to the lives of ordinary people are found near the places where they once lived.”

(((This book is availble via Amazon.com and will cost you less than $5.00))