Tag Archives: Eastside Genealogical Society

Italian Interest Group of the Eastside Genealogical Society Genetic Genealogy in Context:Italy

by Charles Hansen
Italian Interest Group (IIG) NOVEMBER 2026 MEETING
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DATE:November 21, 2026
TIME:1:30 PM Pacific; 2:30pm Mtn; 3:30pm Central; 4:30pm Eastern

TOPIC:Genetic Genealogy in Context: ITALY
PRESENTER: Paul Woodbury
Description:
While the biological principles of genetic genealogy apply in all geographic contexts, the application of these principles is sometimes influenced by cultural context in different regions of the world. In this presentation learn about the basics of genetic genealogy methodologies, as well as particular considerations for pursuing genetic genealogy in Italy and the Italian diaspora. Explore considerations for endogamy, the best tests and companies for Italian populations, Y-DNA and mtDNA context for the region, and record-keeping and cultural context that can affect genetic genealogy questions.
Presenter: From a young age, Paul Woodbury fell in love with genealogy research. To pursue his passion for this field, he studied genetics and family history at Brigham Young University. To aid in his desire to share his knowledge with others, he has also received a master’s degree in instructional design and educational technology from the University of Utah. Over the course of his career, Paul has solved hundreds of challenging genetic genealogy research challenges. He currently works as a senior researcher on the VIP Hosting and Research Services team at FamilySearch. In addition to genetic genealogy, Paul enjoys French, Spanish, Italian, and Scandinavian research.
COUNTDOWN TO THE MEETING:
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Italian Interest Group (IIG) of theEastside Genealogical Society P.O. Box 374
Bellevue, WA 98009-0374

Italian Interest Group of the Eastside Genealogical Society I Did’t Know You Could Search Like That

by Charles Hansen
Italian Interest Group (IIG) OCTOBER 2026 MEETING
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PRESENTER: October 17, 2026
1:30 PM (PT)
I Didn’t Know You Could Search Like That
Debbie Gurtler
Description:
FamilySearch is an essential resource for Italian genealogy.FamilySearch adds millions of records every year, are you finding everything you should? This class will highlight some different ways to search to make sure you leave no stone unturned in the search for your ancestors. Among the search options covered will be Full Text Search, Simple Search, global search, computer-aided indexed records, searching via the catalog, and browsing images.
Presenter: Debbie Gurtler, AG®, graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Family History. She has made research trips to Spain, Portugal, Virginia, and North Carolina. Fluent in Spanish, she can also read genealogical documents in Portuguese, Italian, and French. Debbie holds five AG® credentials they include the U.S. Mid-South region, Spain, Mexico, Chile, and Portugal.
COUNTDOWN TO THE MEETING:
Days Hours Minutes Seconds
Italian Interest Group (IIG) of theEastside Genealogical Society P.O. Box 374
Bellevue, WA 98009-0374

Italian Interest Group of the Eastside Genealogical Society No July & August Meetings

by Charles Hansen
Italian Interest Group (IIG) NO JULY & AUGUST MEETINGS
Trascorri un’estate speciale con i tuoi cari in Italia.
Spend a special summer with your loved ones in Italy.
Save the Date
DATE:
TIME:
 September 19, 2026
1:30 PM (PT)
COUNTDOWN TO THE MEETING:
Days Hours Minutes Seconds
Italian Interest Group (IIG) of theEastside Genealogical Society P.O. Box 374
Bellevue, WA 98009-0374

Kimberly Nichols Named One of WSGS’s Outstanding Volunteers in 2025

by Roxanne Lowe

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 600 outstanding volunteers and teams, 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 2025 award recipients and learn why they received they received a WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Today we’re introducing Kimberly Nichols of Shohomish, Washington who was selected by the Eastside Genealogical Society as its recipients of a WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Kimberly joined EGS in 1990 and has been an active volunteer in a variety of roles over the years. She started and led three special interest groups, the most recent being the Genealogy Book SIG earlier this year. She served simultaneously for many years as webmaster and newsletter editor. She is currently vice president, serving as a valuable right hand to our president who lives out of state. Kimberly developed and organized our first “What’s In Your Attic?” heirloom sharing event last fall and is doing so again in 2025. She also collected, organized, and found homes for over 200 genealogy books belonging to two members who had passed away.

Kimberly is a hard-working, organized, thorough, and dependable volunteer. She definitely lives her belief that the more you get involved in any group you belong to, the more you get out of it. She is a pleasure to work with and consistently brings good ideas to the table.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Volunteer Award” in the subject line

Italian Interest Group of the Eastside Genealogical Society Italian Women of the Resistance

by Charles Hansen
Italian Interest Group (IIG) June 2026 Meeting
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Presenter: June 20, 2026 (Saturday)
1:30 PM (PT)Uncovering the Stories of the Italian Women of the Resistance 
Suzanne Cope

Description: In her talk, Suzanne will discuss the genesis and research journey of her narrative nonfiction book WOMEN OF WAR: The Assassins, Couriers, and Spies Who Fought the Nazis. She’ll tell how she first uncovered the stories of these intrepid women through what they left behind and give insight into her archival and on-the-ground research that led her to tracing the footsteps of these partigiane. Suzanne will also speak how her own Italian American heritage connected with these stories – particularly as this research intersected with her own pursuit of dual citizenship, shedding light on personal genealogical research. To order Women of War see Amazon: Order link & Elliott Bay Book Company Order Link
Suzanne Russo Adams Presenter: Suzanne Cope is a scholar and narrative journalist, and is the author of Women of War: The Italian Assassins, Spies, and Couriers Who Fought the Nazis and Power Hungry: Women of the Black Panther Party and Freedom Summer and Their Fight to Feed a Movement. Her work on themes of political and social change, feminism, food, and culture has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Los Angeles Review of Books, Food & Wine, BBC, Washington Post, Aeon, and others. She is a professor at New York University.
COUNTDOWN TO THE MEETING:
Days Hours Minutes Seconds
Italian Interest Group (IIG) of the Eastside Genealogical Society P.O. Box 374
Bellevue, WA 98009-0374