Note the phone number for Quality Inn is
(509) 925-9800
Serendity Friday — 6 March 2015
Here are some odd cause of death notes that I found quoted from the New Athens Journal for 19 July 1940, and found in the St. Clair Genealogical Society Quarterly in 1995. These were “real” quotes from “real” records:
- “nervousness from gunshot”
- “auto accident, complicated by hookworm”
- “fractured skull – contributory was mule”
- “auto wreck started it; pneumonia ended it”
- “stab wound of chest inflicted by lady friend”
- “hit over the head with slop jar”
- “leakage of head”
- “frightened to death by deputy sheriff”
- “rubbed to death by chiropractor”
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Did you know that you can sign up for a free electronic monthly newsletter from the History & Genealogy Department of the St.Louis County Library? Log on to www.slcl.org/pastports (Note: PASTport not PASSport.) Having news and notes about this great mid-western library would be good if you have ancestor hunting to do in Missouri (or environs) and especially if you plan to attend the NGS conference in St.Charles in May and to do some local research while you’re there. When you click to www.slcl.org/pastports, scroll down to the green box labeled “get library updates to your email.” Click the envelope icon and follow the directions. You can access past issues too.
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Not living in Texas, or other Southern states, where fire ants are known and feared, I never thought much about these little pests. And they are little. Even their ant hills look rather innocent. But look closely at my foot after ten days and you can still see the itchy red bumps. They are obviously no joke! Now I understand why my friends in Florida warned me not to go barefoot!
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Everybody’s talking and touting Google as well they should for it’s a wonderful tool. And we keep being told that Google is adding new tools all the time. How to stay updated? One way is to click to Wikipedia and type in “list of Google products.” Since Google Search is a web search engine it receives over 3 billion search queries per day. We ought to learn how to best do that searching.
A Google tip that I learned at RootsTech: “Post the physical address of an ancestor’s home and when the house goes up for sale, you can take a virtual tour.” What a cool idea.
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Do you think history matters? I think so and I’ll bet you do too. From the Historical Society of Baltimore County I read a post about this very topic. Posted back in October 2014, Justin Albright traveled around Baltimore County asking locals in the community is they think history matters. The purpose of this exercise was to allow the organization (HSBC) the opportunity to gauge public interest. Not surprising that the great majority of answers was positive; yes, history does matter. What would you have answered if these questions had been put to you: “Do you think history matters? In your opinion, why does history matter?
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Jim Andrews lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and recently shared information about his specialty services: He repairs old Bibles and other precious books from all over the U.S. and Canada. His website shows examples of some of his work. If you’re needing this kind of service, click to www.GBBookMan.biz. Or email a question to bookman.gbwi@gmail.com. If you do use his service, please give us some feedback.
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In the Jan-Mar 2015 issue of the NGS Magazine, James Ison, AG, CG, shared an article on “Using FamilySearch to Solve Genealogical Problems: 15 Tips.” You might want to access this publication (which you receive with NGS membership) for yourself but the titles of his tips were: (1) Use Life Event & Relationship Filters; (2) Use Residence & Restrict by Records; (3) Use Wild Cards *; (4) Use Wild Cards ?; (5) Search by first name only; (6) Use parent-only searching; (7) Finding married names; (8) Use the source film number; (9) Know the online collections that relate specifically to your research; (10) Browsing can be a blast; (11) Using partner sites; (12) Sign in, no tricks; (13) Find, Search, & Source from the Family Tree; (14) Give back, be an indexer; (15) Give feedback.
FamilySearch has been, is and will continue to be one of the major players in genealogical research. Family Tree, part of FamilySearch, is aiming to connect everybody’s family into one big tree. Whether you like that idea or not, the idea of sharing and collaborating will bring answers to our brickwalls. The better we understand FamilySearch the better the results will be for us.
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I’ll finish today with something fun to perhaps try for your Easter dinner: Arroz Con Coco, or Rice with Coconut. You can Google all sorts of recipes but cook white rice in coconut milk, add sugar (brown or white) to taste, raisins optional , and top with toasted coconut. We enjoyed this in Puerto Rico and as it’s soooooo easy to make, it’s become a favorite.
Donna
Whitman County Gen Soc News Flash!
“Extra! Extra! I Found It In the Newspaper!”
Whitman County Genealogical Society (Pullman, Washington) is hosting a seminar featuring Janet Camarata and Winona Laird from Genealogy Training Center.
Winona will teach us how to access a variety of historical newspapers to see your ancestors as part of a larger community. Newspaper records include announcements, obituaries, anniversaries, legal notices, letters to the editor, social columns filled with personal news of the daily experiences and lives of your family and their neighbors. Winona has been doing genealogy for over 60 years. When she retired she became a Professional Genealogist. She is a member of Association of Professional Genealogists, National Genealogical Society, and Federation of Genealogy Societies. & “Timelines, Chronologies, and Collateral Lines”
Janet will show how to use a variety of methods to better understand the lives of our ancestors. One method is the use of timelines and/or chronologies to summarize a person’s life, demonstrate how lives interconnect, point out problems and areas for further research, and help in writing a memoir, family history or obituary. Janet is currently President of South King County Genealogical Society (SKCGS). She is a seminar presenter and trainer in genealogy societies across Washington and her specialties are Teaching and Lecturing on genealogy.
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2015 Time: 09:00 am-12:30 pm Lunch: 12:30 pm-1:00 pm
Place: Holiday Inn Express meeting room, 1190 SE Bishop Blvd. Pullman WA (near the intersection of SE Klemgard St.)
Cost: Pre-Registration, by March 20: $30.00 and includes a taco bar lunch catered by Taco Del Mar Registration, after March 20 or at the door: $35.00 without lunch Morning refreshments will be provided. If you have any questions or need more information contact President, Sue Kreikemeier at: aerocraft@completebbs.com or 509-635-1303
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REGISTRATION FORM:
Name: ___________________________________ Email: ___________________________________
Phone: _________________
Make checks payable to W.C.G.S and send to: WCGS, P.O. Box 393, Pullman, WA 99163 For planning purposes, please have pre-registrations in by March 20.
Bainbridge Island Gen Soc News Flash UPDATE
The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) will meet
Friday, March 20 — (date change)
in the Bainbridge Island Public Library Meeting Room from 10:00 AM until noon. The topic will be, “Mapping an Ancestor,” presented by Janet O’Conor Camarata, Association of Professional Genealogists, who will demonstrate using geography and maps in research to provide visual clues to help answer questions about where, how far, and what is nearby, to learn more about our ancestors. Learn about the George E. Curry family of Ohio and Kansas and how maps focused the research, located property, identified lost place names, solved a family mystery, and identified jurisdictions to write for records. Free to members, a $5.00 donation is suggested for nonmembers. For more information go to www.bigenealogy.org, or call 206-842-4978. BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.
Thank you!
Sylvia H. Nelson
Publicity and PR Director
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society
Lois LeBlonde Named Outstanding Volunteer
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 Lois M. LeBlonde of Anacortes, Washington, who was nominated by the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society (SVGS). She was recognized for her exceptional and consistent leader¬ship, knowledge, and volunteer efforts toward the goals and operation of the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society.
Lois LeBlonde
Ms. LeBlonde has been a member of the SVGS board of directors for the past four years and has served as the society’s treasurer for the past three and one-half years. She has maintained the financial records, including deposits and expenses, as well as separate recorded categories of funds for activities of SVGS, all of which are controlled by a strict budget. She most recently maintained a separate accounting of funds received during an unbudgeted society seminar.
Ms. LeBlonde has been a mentor for multiple high school students for the ROOTS project sponsored by SVGS and the Burlington Public Library under the auspices of a Paul Allen Foundation grant, supporting SVGS’s goal for community education.
Ms. LeBlonde has been an outstanding, dedicated volunteer, and 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.
Whidbey Island Genealogical Searchers Seminars
Stillaguamish Valley Gen Society News Flash
BREAKING NEWS from SVGS
Have you ever wanted to know more about your family’s history? Are you looking to solve a family mystery? Or secure membership in an organization like the Daughters of the American Revolution or the Mayflower Society? If not knowing quite how to get started has been holding you back, we’ve got great news.
The Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society is sponsoring a free Beginning Genealogy Classes Wednesday 12 August 2015 in conjunction with the Northwest Genealogy Conference.
To read more and register for this free day follow the link that follows.
(Sent from Eric Stroschein)
Washington State Town Names & More
Looking at a map of the Evergreen State, how many of our Washington place names are unique to Washington would you guess? Doing some Googling, I only found five: Seattle, Port Townsend, Ritzville, Mossy Rock and Moses Lake. But my oh my the other names:
Custer — MN, SD; Oak Harbor — TX, GA, FL, LA; Spokane — OH, SD, MO, LA; Bellingham — MN, SC, MA; Arlington — 13!; DesMoines — CA, NM, IA; Edmonds — ID, NC; Raymond — 11!; Black Diamond — MT, PA, FL, AL, AR, AZ; Cheney — ME, IA, KS, MO; Pullman — AR, IL, TX, MI, WV; Rosalia — KS; Odessa — 9!” Starbuck — MN; Colville — KY: Chattaroy — WV; Kettle Falls — MN; Mesa — TX, MS, AR, AZ, CO (with many more with this as part of the name).
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Here is a lesson for all of us. She had come early to a meeting and took out the packet of photos she just picked up at Fred Meyer and was writing the particulars on the back of each photo. Would that we all would follow suit.
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As you zoom along I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, have you ever thought to stop at Snoqualmie Falls? The falls are quite magnificent (even on a gray day):
In the parking-park, there is a kiosk explaining about the falls and the importance of these falls to the Snoqualmie people:
And I realized that I had been mispronouncing the name all these years.
It is Sno-qual-mie and not Sno-qual-A-mie. How about you?
Clark County Genealogical Society Spring Classes
SPRING CCGS CLASSES
FREE BEGINNING CLASSES
Getting Started Tracing Your Family Tree with Larry Dean Tuesday, 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=ceca5d30ee&e=b278fc7627
Get Your Ducks in a Row: Genealogical Housekeeping, 201
Tuesday, March 3rd, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Instructor: Jane Germann
Still tearing your hair out over the piles and stacks of paper? Know your cousin emailed you Aunt Stella’s obituary but it’s lost on your computer somewhere? Jane will show you some easy and painless (almost) ways to keep track of your genealogical files. Jane has been a member of CCGS since 1984. She has been a mainstay of education, teaching classes from introductory to courthouse research to publishing and everything in between. A vigorous researcher, Jane leaves no stone unturned, except cemetery headstones. Those she leaves standing.
Obituaries and Newspapers: Windows to the Past
Tuesday, March 17th, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Instructor: Lethene Parks
Obituaries can be jam-packed with relationship information often listing the living and the dead relatives and their connection to the deceased. Knowing how and where to access these valuable pieces of your family history can seem a bit daunting, not to mention confusing. Historically, newspapers published items of community interest as well as the latest calamity. How thrilling to read that your ggrandfather returned to the Willamette Valley after a sojourn to mining country east of the mountains. You didn’t see that on any ten year census snapshot! But how do I find them? Lethene to the rescue!! Our treasure, Lethene Parks, has been a serious genealogist for over fifty years. She loves sharing her knowledge with everyone. Her passion for scholarly research is surpassed only by the thrill of the hunt. Lethene currently serves as the CCGS President.
City Directories and Area Histories: Tuesday, March 31st, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Instructor: Elsie Deatheridge
Isn’t it a thrill to see your ancestor’s name in print? Directories make them just a little more real as you track their household as well as their employment from year to year. Area histories were very commonly published in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s as barely disguised promotion pieces for developing towns and cities. But, they also contain great background information and the occasional surprise as you find your ancestor profiled. Elsie will entertain us with some interesting finds and help in ferreting out your location. Elsie was born in Colville, WA, and graduated from Inchelium High school. She earned a BS in secondary education and a Masters in Adult Education, both from WSU Pullman. Elsie has attended many week-long courses at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and is a frequent participant in national genealogy conferences.
What’s New in Family Search? LOTS! Tuesday, April 7th, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Instructor: Alice Allen
Family Search is a major go-to site for genealogical research. In addition to continuously adding searchable records, Family Search is constantly improving how we access those records. Alice is a “power user” of Family Search and will share her insights as to how to make this site “dance” for you. Alice Allen has been doing genealogical research off and on since 1968 (raising six children was her main focus). When she got her first computer in 1995, genealogy and family history became a passion. She became a member of the USGenWeb Project in 1996 and was thus privileged to be a part of the beginning of online genealogy research. She has been a CCGS member since 1998 and is involved in many other community and social activities.
Leaping the Pond: strategies for locating your ancestors pre-America Tuesday, April 21st, 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.
Seattle Genealogical Society March Update
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