23andMe Bankruptcy Information

by Roxanne Lowe

By now, you’ve probably heard that 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March 2025. As the company maneuvers through the bankruptcy process, including trying to find a buyer, customers may want to check out the following articles.

What the 23andMe Bankruptcy Means for your Data and Genealogy with Amy Johnson Crow (March 2025)

https://genealogybargains.com/turmoil-at-23andme/  with Thomas MacEntee (March 2025)

April 29, 2025 update: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/23andme-will-have-court-appointed-overseer-genetic-data-bankruptcy-2025-04-29/

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree May 2025 Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG Meeting
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm virtual via Zoom

This month’s topic is: What do you want to learn about Legacy Family Tree Software?

Due to low attendance the last two months I am considering pausing or canceling this special interest group. If you are interested this wil be your chance to provide input on what you would like to see this SIG focus on learning.

This is our monthly meeting to share tips & tricks, problems & solutions. Sometimes we will watch videos or share our screens to aid in learning more about using Legacy Family Tree software.

Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the learning. If you are just thinking about trying Legacy for the first time, you’ve been using it for a year or two or you are an old pro with many years of experience using Legacy this is the group for you. If you have any suggestions for future topics, please send them in.

We look forward to meeting with you, every month on the First Tuesday at 7:00 PM Pacific Time

Meeting Invite with Links in file attached below:

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Monthly Calendar Reminder: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYpfuyuqDovHNwtBgxtQjWKOjDQ8k5Q9bPD/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqqjIvHNKUtR-PRpwQBor4Z-7wpn5Ygo1KiD3iGzRiaDTdGehmA-p0RemJ

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82495661568?pwd=dy85YmluVzF5aEU4SzFTcTUrVDlTUT09

Meeting ID: 824 9566 1568
Passcode: 715731

One tap mobile:
+12532050468,,82495661568#,,,,*715731# US
+12532158782,,82495661568#,,,,*715731# US (Tacoma)

Dial by your location:
+1 253 205 0468 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

Meeting ID: 824 9566 1568
Passcode: 715731

Find your local number:
https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcphK19I1E

Puget Sound Genealogical Society May Classes

by Charles Hansen

Classes:  “Getting Started in Family History Series” presented by Cheri Hudson Passey (Legacy Family Tree Webinars) -Classes are on Saturday and start at 10:30am.
These events are hybrid.  In person at the Sylvan Way Library in Bremerton and on Zoom.  Zoom link will be posted on our website (psgsociety.org) and our Facebook page the day before.

 May 3:   Home Sources, Forms, and Family Stories

 May 10:   Documents, Vital Records, and Census Records

 May 31:   Cemetery & Church Records,  Online Research: Finding Family on the Internet, and Researching On Location

Program:  May 28 (Wed), 1pm. ” Inspire the Next Generation” with Sue Schlichting.

 Who’s going to take over the family history quest when you’re no longer able? Getting the younger generation interested in their family history is important work. Learn creative ways to get young people engaged in their own history research.

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Future Proofing Your Genealogy

by Charles Hansen

THOMAS MacENTEE

GENEALOGIST, AUTHOR, BLOGGER

AFTER YOU’RE GONE:

FUTURE PROOFING YOUR GENEALOGY

Speaker at the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society’s

May 8th Zoom meeting

Virtual meeting doors will open at 6:30 pm

The speaker’s program will begin at 7:00 pm

The public is invited to attend however, non-members will not have access to the handout as per speaker’s request

For a link to join the meeting or to join the society for $20.00 per year contact lcgsgen@yahoo.com

Please make your request for the link 24 hours prior to the event

Italian Interest Group Eastside Genealogical Society Italian Municipal and Tax Censuses

by Charles Hansen

FREE WEBINAR
“Italian Municipal and Tax Censuses”
Description: This lecture examines Italian municipal and tax censuses as valuable genealogical resources. It provides an overview of censuses over time, including the riveli and catasti, highlighting their insights into family structures, property ownership, and community history. Participants will learn how to locate and analyze these records to enhance their family research.
                          ZOOM Meeting When:           21-Jun-2025, Saturday
Time:             1:30 PM (PDT) Presenter:   Suzanne Russo Adams
Kerri Tannenbaum Speaker Bio: Suzanne Russo Adams, MA, AG®, is an Associate Professor of family history and the Director of the Center for Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University. An Accredited Genealogist® specializing in Italian research, she holds degrees in Family History/Genealogy and Sociology, as well as a master’s degree in History. With over 25 years of experience in the genealogy field, Suzanne has worked extensively in record acquisition, strategy, and content digitization for Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. She is the author of “Finding Your Italian Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide”.
If you aren’t a registered member, you must request meeting access. Below is the link to request a meeting invitation. Please send me an invitation link
COUNTDOWN TO THE MEETING:
Days Hours Minutes Seconds
Eastside Genealogical Society
– Italian Interest Group
P.O. Box 374
Bellevue, WA 98009-0374

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Draft Registrations for Civil War, WWI and WWII

by Charles Hansen

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

1901 S. 12th Avenue

Union Gap, WA 98903

Phone: (509) 248-1328

Email: yvgs@yvgs.net

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

General Meeting will be held in the library.

Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Speaker – Judy Schuster will be giving a presentation on Draft Registrations for the Civil War, WW1 and WW2.

Carla Adams

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Huge Spring Yard Sale

by Charles Hansen

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

1901 S. 12th Avenue

Union Gap, WA 98903

Phone: (509) 248-1328

Email: yvgs@yvgs.net

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

Y.V.G.S. Huge Spring Yard Sale will be held in the Library Parking Lot

Date: Thursday, thru Saturday, May 8th, 9th, and 10th

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

To name a few items: Furniture, clothes, books, baby clothes,

kitchen items used in cooking, sewing items, arts & crafts,

office equipment, sports equipment, pictures, etc.

Carla Adams

Social Media

Let’s Talk About: Salt: A History

by Donna Phillips

Salt is one of the most common elements on our planet and is essential for all life. As far back as 6000 B.C., salt has been an integral part the history of the world and a fundamental element in the rise and fall of countless civilizations. 

Throughout history, salt has been highly valued and even used as currency. Did you know the term salary was derived from the word salt? Countless treaties and wartime strategies revolved around the making or denying of salt and it was closely tied to the rise of power and dominance by rulers. 

Salt is the subject of generations of lore, tales and idioms. Terms like “not worth his salt” and “salt of the earth.” In many civilizations, salt has been extensively used for the improvement of luck, wellbeing, cleansing and purifying. 

Today we hear that “salt is essential for all life” and the media blasts that we consume too much salt in our daily diet which is detrimental to our health. And is there a “healthy” salt?

Google says: There isn’t a single “healthiest” salt, as all types are primarily sodium chloride, and the differences in trace minerals are negligible for most people. However, sea salt and pink Himalayan salt, which are less processed and retain some trace minerals, are often considered slightly healthier than table salt. 

(Thanks to a Salt Lake Visitors’ Guide for this info. And Google.)

Let’s Talk About: FamilySearch Library: Updated & Wunnerful

by Donna Phillips

The eager researchers still queue up and stampede into the FamilySearch Library when the doors open at 9:00. Some things never change. But there have been a long list up changes to “our favorite library” since you were there last.

For openers, the entire first floor is now a Discovery Center where an army of experienced volunteers guide visitors to discover their ancestry. There is a new and expanded snack room on the first floor. 

On the second floor, ALL the cabinets of microfilm are GONE and the huge now-open area is filled with computer stations… with each station having TWO monitors! All our beloved books remain on the third floor. Down on B-1 and B-2, the International floors, the layout has completely changed too. 

There are more helpers…. from your computer station you sign up for a helper with your particular question and they will come to you! Copies are now free, as are flash drives. (Gee, first no more dimes and now no more copy cards. 🙂 

Even the restrooms have been redone (at least the women’s rooms). There is new carpeting, new signs and displays and no more rather obnoxious loud speaker announcements. 

The Salt Lake Airport is now almost overwhelmingly HUGE! The main corridor has this “salt waves” (what I call it) art work as a welcome display. 

Makes me eager to go back even as I type this. When shall we go?