Italian Interest Group of the Eastside Genealogical Society Using Maps for Genealogy

by Charles Hansen

21-Sep-2024 Meeting
Welcome to Italian Genealogy Let’s explore the world of Italian genealogy together, one person at a time.
Maps can be incredibly valuable tools for genealogy research. They allow us to visualize our ancestors’ world, understand historical boundaries, and discover new records. Remember, maps not only provide context but also connect you to the places your ancestors called home. Happy mapping!
                          ZOOM Meeting Topic:     Using Maps for Genealogy
When:        21-Sep-2024, Saturday
Time:         1:30 PM – 3:30 PM (PDT)
If you aren’t an active member, please request a Zoom meeting invitation.
Meeting Request
COUNTDOWN TO THE MEETING:
Days Hours Minutes Seconds
Eastside Genealogical Society
– Italian Interest Group P.O. Box 374
Bellevue, WA 98009-0374

Let’s Talk About: Dutch Cheese!

by Donna Phillips

 In April 2024, I was blessed to spend two weeks in Holland on a Viking riverboat cruise. Besides learning that Gouda cheese is “wunnerful,” I eagerly soaked up lots of Dutch history. Since many family historians find that they have a family line going back to the Netherlands (proper name of that little country), I thought I’d share some of the Dutch history bits that I learned.

The Dutch are known for their cheese, or kaas, as they say. In some towns, the cheese trade dates back to the 1300s. Today, this country is the largest cheese exporter in the world. We toured a cheese factory…… tour started with meeting the cows all happily munching in their stalls. Holland’s low, flat rich soil, kissed by a salty sea wind, produces grass most healthy for cows….. which produce much milk. Legally, cheese farmers/factories can only have a certain number of cows to graze the land allotted to them. After seeing the adults, we got to meet a 10-day old calf….. her pink muzzle was so darn cute. (Females are kept for milk production; males are sent to become hamburger.) 

Here I am with a 20# wheel of Gouda. I learned that there is young Gouda (less than six months), perfect for sandwiches, and mature Gouda, best for eating as cubes to dip in mustard. Wrapped in paraffin wax for export, cheeses do not spoil but they do become harder and saltier. Edam is a close favorite cheese, best eaten as a snack with apples or pears. In days gone by, cheese makers delivered their product to the town square on market day either by horse cart or canal boat. Known as kaasdragers, they carried up to 300 pounds of cheese to the buyers’ stalls. Buyers would purchase a slice of a wheel….. that’s why you see deli cheeses cut in wedges in stores today.Have you had your cheese today? REAL cheese, not those plastic-wrapped slices. 🙂 

In days gone by, cheese makers delivered their product to the town square on market day either by horse cart or canal boat. Known as kaasdragers, they carried up to 300 pounds of cheese to the buyers’ stalls. Buyers would purchase a slice of a wheel….. that’s why you see deli cheeses cut in wedges in stores today.

Have you had your cheese today? REAL cheese, not those plastic-wrapped slices. 🙂 

Northeast Washington Genealogical Society Ancestor Detective

by Charles Hansen

The Northeast Washington Genealogical Society in Colville is trying something new this year for their annual fall seminar.  We are partnering with our local FamilySearch Center to present a FREE all-day workshop on Saturday September 21st at the LDS church in Colville. This FREE event will include 12 different classes to choose from, informational stations and a free lunch. For more information and to register, please go to our website’s Events page at https://www.newgs.org/eventListings.php?nm=88 to download a flyer and registration form.

Let’s Talk About Windmills!

by Donna Phillips

Yes, I clicked “publish” too soon few weeks back….. now this post is in order. So sorry.


In April 2024, I was blessed to spend two weeks in Holland on a Viking riverboat cruise. Besides learning that Gouda cheese is “wunnerful,” I eagerly soaked up lots of Dutch history. Since many family historians find that they have a family line going back to the Netherlands (proper name of that little country), I thought I’d share some of the Dutch history bits that I learned.


I learned that over half of this little flat country, right on the North Atlantic, would be underwater if the windmills (and modern pumping stations) didn’t keep pumping. I was told that with rising ocean levels and glacial melting increasing the rivers’ flow through Holland, it’s a constant battle of man against nature.

I heard this wag more than once:  “God made the world but the Dutch made Holland.” The industrious Dutch constructed dykes and dams and pumped the water out (into the ocean) and the resulting polders provided rich farmland for a growing vegetables (and tulips!) for a growing population. 

The original windmills had a keeper-miller who lived in the base of the tower with his family. He needed to be a good judge of weather. It was his job to keep the blades turning, and the water pumping, but not endanger the structure. The top of the structure rotated as needed by hand to get the blades in best wind-catching position. 

I visited a restored windmill and was amazed at the strength and work it took to move those big wooden blades into position, often several times in a 24-hour period. 

Windmills were not invented until the 1700s and didn’t come into widespread use until into the 1800s……… before this time, when much of Holland was flat, mushy land, the cities were confined to higher points where they could be found. Before windmills, the early inhabitants built dykes to keep the water from their homes. (Amster was the town began on the Amster’s Dyke.) 

Fascinating topic; one could read a big book and not learn all there is to know about Dutch windmills.

You’re Invited to WSGS’s Annual Meeting

by Roxanne Lowe

You’re invited to the WSGS’s annual meeting! Friday, August 30, 2024, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

In compliance with Washington’s Nonprofit Corporation Act (24.03A), we’re holding our annual meeting.

Here’s the Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89375006911?pwd=ohQLJAEtE26bfgGtBIDOVCRbn3hP0F.1

Meeting ID: 893 7500 6911
Passcode: 547652
Via phone: (253) 205-0468,,89375006911#,,,,*547652# US

The agenda will include the announcement of the 2024 Outstanding Volunteer and Team recipients, President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Supportive Grant awards. We’ll also talk about Pioneer Pursuit, featuring Ralph Brown (who submitted 1,285 pioneers) and Le Anne Koliha (who specialized in Native American research). You’ll also learn more about our Pioneer Pursuit Push to 5,000!

We hope you join us! If you want more information, email Info@wasgs.org.

Pioneer Pursuit Push to 5,000!

by Roxanne Lowe

Since its launch last year, the WSGS Pioneer Pursuit project has been a huge success, adding 3,696 pioneers to our index at the end of the contest (31 Oct 2023), and another 120 more names since then. Now, let us try to reach a goal of 5,000 names by November 11, 2024! 

We’re encouraging everyone, whether you’re a WSGS member or not, to submit a three-generation genealogy (with sources) for every man, woman and child who lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889 when we became the 42nd state. We want to have 5,000 names in our free public index — and we need your help!

We’ve made it easy to submit Pioneer Pursuit genealogies. First, check both the Pioneer Pursuit index and the Pioneer Certificate Project index to see if a family or individual is already listed. If you find a name in the Pioneer Certificate Project index, your work is almost done — just include the name(s) on the Submittal Form and we’ll pull the information from the Certificate Project to Pioneer Pursuit.

If you’re new to Pioneer Pursuit, there are lots of resources on our website. To learn more about Pioneer Pursuit, from the WSGS Home Page‘s left navigation bar, select Washington Pioneer Pursuit. Check the Submission Instructions, Submission Example and Frequently Asked Questions to see how to type up your genealogy and add your source materials. The last step is to complete the Submittal Form (available in PDF and Word) and send it to wapioneerpursuit@gmail.com or mail it to Washington State Genealogical Society, Pioneer Pursuit, 1901 S. 12th Ave, Union Gap, WA 98903.

REMEMBER, YOU DON’T HAVE TO RESEARCH YOUR FAMILY – we want to document everyone who was in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889. Let’s work together to add additional names. We ONLY NEED about 1,200 more names to meet our goal!

Heritage Quest Research Library Friendly Relations

by Charles Hansen
Friendly Relations 
Finding American Quakers and their Online Records   In 1750 the Quaker religion was the third largest in the colonies. So, if you have an English sounding surname, a dead-end pointing to the British Isles or Ireland, and if your kin could have arrived before the American Revolution … well you could be looking for a Friend (Quaker)! Learn about Quakers and their meticulous record keeping, now available online. Steven Waltz Morrison, MPA is the past president of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Olympia Genealogical society.  He holds an undergraduate degree from WWU and a master’s degree in public administration from The Evergreen State College where he taught for seven years. Steven is an ardent supporter and long-time member of HQRL.  When: 
August 15, 2024
Where:
ZOOM and limited in-person
Cost:
Members $20
Non-members $25 Sign-up & Payment:
ZOOM
Go to hqrl.com and click on the HQRL Store (Sign in as a member to get the discount)
In-Person (8 only)
Call HQRL at 253-863-1806 or come into the library at 2102 E Main, Suite 105, Puyallup, WA 98372 A link will be sent to your email 1-2 days before the class.
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Stillaquamish Valley Genealogical Society An Introduction to American Ancestors

by Charles Hansen

Stillaquamish Valley Genealogical Society

Monthly Meeting & Presentation – An Introduction to American Ancestors

(This presentation and meeting will not be available via Zoom)

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

1:00 pm

SVGS Library

6111 188 PL NE, Arlington, WA

You are invited to this free presentation at the SVGS library.

Everyone is welcome! 

SVGS recently added the American Ancestors library addition to our resources, which can now be accessed by using one of the library computers or by connecting to the library’s WiFi on your personal device. (Laptop or Smartphone)

David Allen Lambert will give a live online presentation that can be watched at our library. Our business meeting will follow the presentation.

David’s topic: An Introduction to American Ancestors

David Allen Lambert from American Ancestors will introduce us to their website, so we can fully utilize the library edition. Following this PowerPoint presentation, there will be time for a Q & A with David.

Bio: David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist, has been on staff with American Ancestors since 1993. He is an internationally recognized speaker on the topics of genealogy and history, as well as a published author. He is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston MA.

There will be a short break with refreshments. The monthly meeting will follow.

DIG – DNA Special Interest Group

Also join us at the SVGS library from 1-3pm on Thursday, August 15th for our DNA Special Interest Group (DIG). This group works together to develop a better understanding of DNA techniques and strategies for finding relatives, discuss and review new DNA developments and tools and help members with their research problems. This group meets at the same time on the 3rd Thursday of the month.

All DNA skill levels are welcome to attend.

If you have a specific DNA topic you would like to discuss or have any other suggestions for this group, please send an email info@stillygen.org

Also, if you have not joined us yet and would like to receive emails in the future for the DIG group, please send an email to info@stillygen.org and request to be added to the DIG email list.

For more information visit www.stillygen.org

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Book Club

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society Book Club

Saturday, August 17, 2024, starting at 4:00 pm via Zoom

Please join us as we discuss a fictional genealogical book, Family Secrets by Beth Farrar.

More information at: 

Amazon: Family Secrets

Also available in print from various used bookstores.

 We will also choose future books. 

TPCGS Book Club Zoom Meeting

Every month on the Third Sat beginning at 4:00 PM Pacific Time

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

Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZUkfuCqrzgsG9RrrhNAdU65Lz86P0s92mu1/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGppzIjGNWWthiHRpwcHYr4XerzmHZdjfpvjg3tLQFXV1WjGvgaZIIvA4GC

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81999213610?pwd=Qkk2WFZTZ2Rzdzc1Z0szN1AzdEZCUT09

Meeting ID: 819 9921 3610

Passcode: 479394

One tap mobile:

+12532050468,,81999213610#,,,,*479394# US

+12532158782,,81999213610#,,,,*479394# US (Tacoma)

Dial by your location:

        +1 253 205 0468 US

        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

Meeting ID: 819 9921 3610

Passcode: 479394

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

Let’s Talk About: Tulips!

by Donna Phillips

In April 2024, I was blessed to spend two weeks in Holland on a Viking riverboat cruise. Besides learning that Gouda cheese is “wunnerful,” I eagerly soaked up lots of Dutch history. Since many family historians find that they have a family line going back to the Netherlands (proper name of that little country), I thought I’d share some of the Dutch history bits that I learned.

I learned that tulips did not originate in Holland but in Turkey (Persia then). The word tulip is the Persian word for “turban.” Some thought tulips looked like turbans.


Tulips were first introduced into Europe and Holland in the 1550s as a gift from the Ottoman Emperor.  The Dutch went crazy for tulips; the waxy flower became so wildly popular that an economy of trading known as “tulip mania” exploded overnight. At the peak of tulip mania, some SINGLE bulbs sold for more than ten times the annual income of a skilled craftsman! 


At first tulips were mono-colored but about 1600 a non-fatal virus caused mutations that resulted in the splotched colored and curly leaves we love today.