Clark County Genealogical Society September 2024 Seminar
Heritage Quest Research Library Using FamilySearch Wiki
Joleen Aitchison has been involved in genealogical endeavors since she was a child, and continues the search. She is a member of APG, the Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society, and the consulting genealogist for Traditions of the Ancestors (TOTA). Joleen has presented at various events throughout the US and is a returning speaker for us at HQRL. Let’s Talk About: Dead Fred
Quoting from a bit by Lisa Louise Cook in the Family Tree Magazine, Mar/Apr 2024:
“Would you like to discover a previously unknown photo of your ancestor? Thousands of people have done just that using the free dead Fred website, www.deadfred.com. This archive includes user-submitted photos that are either unidentified or have spotty information, and you can search it by surname, place or other related keywords. If you find a photo of a direct ancestor, Dead Fred will even sent it to you for free. Take a second look through your own photo collection and start posting those unidentified pictures. Someone else may just be able to help solve the mystery!”
If you’re like me and enjoy “treasure hunting” in thrift shops and garage sales, we HATE to see family photos just casually and anonymously up for sale. Whenever possible, I gather up as many of these as I can and package them up and send them to Dead Fred. Idea for you too???
President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Nominations Due August 1, 2024
Nominations for the Washington State Genealogical Society President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement are due by August 1, 2024. The announcement will be made August 30, 2024.
The President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement is designed to single out that rare individual, society or organization who has demonstrated exemplary service above and beyond expectations.
The ideal recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement has:
• Exhibited long-term, consistent service in the field of genealogy, family or local history, the genealogical community, records preservation or made an important single contribution in those areas that will endure into the future.
• Demonstrated a high degree of energy, commitment, flexibility, and professional conduct.
• Provided significant support and impact to the local genealogical community time and time again.
• Exhibited personal influence and example to society members and/or the general public with their unselfish service.
• Supported or advanced local or statewide genealogical research.
Nominations may be submitted by any individual, local society or organization, regardless of WSGS membership. Nominees do not have to have been officers in their local societies.
Previous recipients of this prestigious award include:
- 2015 – Fred Pflugrath, Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
- 2016 – Margie Wilson, Skagit Valley Genealogical Society
- 2017 – Joanne Egbert Calhoun, Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
- 2018 – Ann Olson, Olympia Genealogical Society
- 2021 – Helen McGreer Lewis, South King County Genealogical Society (posthumous)
- 2022 – Jill Morelli, Seattle Genealogical Society
- 2023 – Karen Mitchell, Clallam County Genealogical Society
Additional information, including the nomination form, is available here. Questions should be directed to Info@wasgs.org. Please type “President’s Award” in the Subject Line.
FREE CASH for Societies
The deadline for applying for a WSGS Supportive Grant is coming up — July 31, 2024. Two grants will be awarded on August 30, 2024.
The grants, up to $250 each, are designed to fill a need or support a special project of WSGS-member societies and organizations. Ideas are limited only by societies’ creativity. Some ideas include:
- Equipment, such as video camera, microphone, tripod, mixing board, or screen, as your society moves to hybrid meetings.
- Purchase of furniture, equipment, books, magazines or other publications/ subscriptions for an existing or new society library.
- Locating, inventorying, restoring and/or preserving a local cemetery.
- Hosting a special event, presentation, or workshop.
- Purchasing genealogical-related software, scanner, projector, peripherals or other equipment or technology.
- Developing a project serving special populations, e.g. senior citizens, children/teens, tribal members, ethnic organizations, etc..
- Restoring and/or preservation of photos or original documents.
- Identifying and unifying old photos, Bibles, quilts, letters or other significant memorabilia with family members, museums, or other good homes.
- Creation of a website, blog or other communication tool.
- Publication of local history or narratives.
The simple application is only ONE page and is available here. Additional guidance on the program is here.
For more information, email Outreach@wasgs.org.
Fort Walla Walla Camp 3 Dedication Ceremony New Stone Marker for a CW Union Veteran
From Ft Walla Walla Camp 3 Commander of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. On July/27 at Starbuck, WA Cemetery- a dedication ceremony of a new Stone marker for CW Union Veteran George Wood.
Starts at 11:30 at Cemetery. Special lunch and program also follow after. Family to attend and Public invited. Questions-509 945 0549 or www.suvpnw.org
Genealogical Forum of Oregon Gen Talk
July GenTalk sponsored by GFO
Where do you start if you are tracing ancestry to Mexico? Learn the most helpful record types for Mexican and Mexico Spanish colonial genealogy research and where to find them. This class will also address tips for dealing with the language barrier.
Presenter Moises Garza’s passion for genealogy started in the cotton fields of west Texas. As a migrant worker, he worked in the fields next to his father, Lauro Garza, who had a sharp memory and told countless stories about his own ancestors. Moises has pursued genealogy since 1998, first with his own family and then helping countless others in their own quest to find their ancestors. He has published 60 books on genealogy and he continues with this passion by publishing and creating resources to help clients in their own search.
This talk is free of charge.
Registration at https://gfo.org/learn/gen-talks.html
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Using Family Search and Family Search WIKI
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
1901 S. 12th Avenue
Union Gap, WA 98903
Phone: (509) 248-1328
Email: yvgs@yvgs.net
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
Date: Friday, July 19, 2024
Location: Y.V.G.S. Library (6:00pm – 8:30pm)
Event: Mini-Seminar
Speaker: Richard Kyle
Subject: “How to Use Familysearch and Familysearch WIKI”
Fee: $5.00 at the door.
Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society DNA SIG Meeting
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society DNA Special Interest Group Meeting
Tuesday, July 23, Starting at 7:00 pm via Zoom
We will be reading Your DNA Guide by Diahan Southard.
Rather than continuing to read the book in order, we will start working on our Plans, as outlined in the book, and share our successes and struggles.
This book is available from the author, the publishers, Amazon, or perhaps through your local public library or via Inter-Library Loan.
Check WorldCat to see what libraries may have copies.
Calendar reminder: TPCGS DNA Special Interest Group Meeting
Every month on the Fourth Tuesday beginning at 7:00 PM Pacific Time
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82725316888?pwd=MDc3UEZrUVJNbmxmK2ZORmw5YzdDdz09
Meeting ID: 827 2531 6888
Passcode: 811780
One tap mobile:
+12532050468,,82725316888#,,,,*811780# US
+12532158782,,82725316888#,,,,*811780# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location:
+1 253 205 0468 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 827 2531 6888
Passcode: 811780
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kIKCyZLQy
Let’s Talk About: Picture Postcards
Don’t most of us have old picture postcards included with our ancestors’ memorabilia? We have a lovely batch from 1911 when great-grandmother Ethel visited Yellowstone (traveling in horse-drawn carriages and wearing long dresses and huge hate). The first known printed picture postcard, with an image on one side, was created in France in 1870 at Camp Conlie by Leon Besmardeau (1829-1914). Conlie was a training camp for soldiers in the Franco-Prussian War. Below is an image of that card:
I learned much about picture postcards from a webinar by Katherine Hamilton-Smith, the St. Clair County (Illinois) Gen Soc in early 2024.
“The years 1890 to 1915 were the Golden Age of postcards; they were an absolute craze,” she explained. “Everybody collected them and would show them off to family and guests. Everybody who could afford them, bought them.”
There were so many types of picture postcards! Auto courts, Motels, Restaurants, Gas Stations, Churches, travel destinations, fashion, trains, cars, airplanes and ships, places, disasters (tornados, fires, shipwrecks) and commemorative events (opening of Panama Canal). Anything and everything might show up as a picture on a postcard during that Golden Age. Entrepreneurs quickly saw an opportunity to make money and would take a photo of a place and then make and sell those postcards.
Hamilton-Smith further explained that “postcards were a visual documenting history of a place in time…… not of people but of places.”
Today people collect specific postcards for other reasons than connections to their family history.
Do you have any old family-sent or collected picture postcards??