David Rencher, chief genealogical officer at FamilySearch and our headliner at the WSGS Conference on June 27, 2015, is cheering for a Seahawks victory at Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday. Yes, David’s a Seahawks fan!
Look for more interesting tidbits about David in the coming weeks and months. Then come see him yourself at the WSGS Conference, June 27, in Ellensburg — mark your calendar now!
This is the blog for and by members of the Washington State Genealogy Society; find us at www.wasgs.org .
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Seattle Genealogical Society Seminars
TIP OF THE WEEK
The HeritageQuest database, which is available remotely via The Seattle Public Library’s website, will see several upgrades in the first quarter 2015.
Following are a few important changes noted by ProQuest, the database vendor:
- Complete 1790-1940 U.S. Federal Census with images and every-name indexes for all years
- Additional census records such as Mortality and Non-Population Schedules, Indian Census Rolls, and more
- Expanded collection of genealogy and local history books and city directories with an all-new user interface, thumbnail images and hit highlighting
- Complete Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land record collection (NARA M804)
HELP WANTED – YOUR SOCIETY NEEDS YOU
Current SGS needs and openings:
Are you Irish (or do you wish you were), and can you walk a mile?
SGS’s official participation in Seattle’s Irish Week Festivities is one of our best community outreach activities and helps us obtain financial grants for our Society. SGS is participating in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade on March 14, and we need a few people to march in the parade, carry the SGS banner alongside an antique car, and pass out membership brochures. The parade begins at 12 noon and starts at 4th and Jefferson and travels north on 4th. After passing the reviewing stand at Westlake - walkers can board the monorail (for free) to the Seattle Center for closing ceremonies at 2:00 pm.
SGS will also have a booth at the Seattle Center for the Irish Week festivities. We need volunteers to man our SGS Information booth for two-hour shifts on Saturday March 14 from 12 Noon to 6 PM and Sunday March 15 10 AM – 6 PM. This is a lot of fun.
If you can help – please contact Jean A. Roth at (206) 782-2629 or jeanaroth@juno.com
Strong backs needed: Several times a year, we need help moving boxes of books or other similar items, and many of our members can no longer do this kind of physical work. Commitment: 1-3 hours, two or three times a year. Email Reiley Kidd,SGSSecretary@gmail.com
Seeking one or more leaders for Beginner's classes: Twice a year, SGS offers a series of classes for people new to genealogical research. We need several people to share this responsibility. The curriculum and lesson plans are available, and we can coach you to get you started. Commitment: several 1-2 hour sessions (evenings or weekends), twice a year. Email Jean Roth, jeanaroth@juno.com
BELOW ARE SEVERAL NEEDS RELATED TO THE SGS SPRING 2015 SEMINAR:
WANTED: Volunteers willing to give SGS two hours to help with registration of attendees at 2015 spring seminar, Saturday, 9 May. Will check attendees' names against registration/paid list and hand out already-prepared information packets. Will register walk-up attendees and take and record their registration fees. Seminar at Greenwood Senior Center. Work begins at 8:30 a.m. on day of seminar. Email Betty Ravenholt,ravenholt@aol.com
WANTED: Volunteers willing to give SGS two to three hours to help with preparing registration packets for spring seminar attendees. Work involves collating already printed pages and putting them into envelopes, preparing name labels, etc. Work to be done at SGS library at a date during week prior to May 9 seminar. Email Betty Ravenholt, ravenholt@aol.com
WANTED: Volunteers willing to give SGS approximately two hours to put out snacks/water and hand out lunches at SGS spring seminar on 9 May. Preparatory work of organizing snacks and lunch boxes will take about one hour and begins at 8:30. Handing out lunches will take about one hour and begins about 12:00. Seminar at Greenwood Senior Center. Email Betty Ravenholt, ravenholt@aol.com
WANTED: Volunteers willing to give SGS approximately one hour to help pack up, clean up, and straighten up at the end of the spring seminar event. Work begins about 4:30 p.m. on 9 May. Greenwood Senior Center. Email Betty Ravenholt, ravenholt@aol.com
SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Saturday, January 31, 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Wedgewood Presbyterian ChurchDNA INTEREST GROUP, Cary Bright and Herb McDaniel, leaders.
Come learn about DNA testing and how you can tear down some of your brick walls with the right DNA test. We will have a quick overview at 9:30 a.m. to review DNA for beginners. Our usual meeting (10:00 a.m.) will review all new discoveries and include two presentations by group members about their own DNA testing results.
Saturday, January 31, 1:30 – 4:00 p.m., SGS Library
Program: Using Postcard Images: An Unusual Picture Source For Family Histories.
Old postcards are a valuable but often little-used resource for images to add to your genealogies. They include early photographs and art work of places and people important to your narrative.
Leader: Jean A. Roth
Sunday, February 1 – SGS Library will be CLOSED today, because of the Super Bowl.
The program originally scheduled for this date has been moved to Feb. 8 – see below.
Saturday, February 7 10:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m., Canadian Interest Group; David Robert, leader.
Bring your Canadian brick walls for some expert help.
Sunday, February 8, 1:30 p.m.,
NEW DATE! "House Histories--Wherever You Live" will be presented on Sunday, 8 February at 1:30 pm at the SGS Library. Jill Morelli, licensed architect and genealogist will present an approach to doing your house history, wherever you live. While each county's land records are filed differently, Jill will outline a procedure which works in most urban jurisdictions. Document retrieval, online and on site, and the architecture and neighborhood assessment will be covered.
Tuesday, February 10, 10 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Program: Finding and Interpreting Family Bible Records, Ida Skarson McCormick, leader.
Is something puzzling you about the content of a family Bible record? Please send image before class to idamc@seanet.net
Saturday, February 14.
CANCELLATION NOTICE: Computer Interest Group, Ida Skarson McCormick, leader, originally scheduled for this day has been cancelled.
Saturday, February 14, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. SGS OPEN HOUSE
It's Valentine's Day! We'd "love" to have you join us for sweet treats. Researchers will be available to help you with your family history.
Tuesday, February 17, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Brick Wall Solving Session.
Join SGS members for a problem-solving session. This is an open forum format. Jean A. Roth, leader.
Saturday, February 21, All day Irish Genealogy Workshop 9 AM – 5 PM in Greenwood sponsored by the Irish Heritage Club and the SGS Irish Interest Group.
Contact Jean A. Roth for details: jeanaroth@juno.com
Sunday, February 22, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Irish Interest Group, Jean A. Roth, leader.
Open session on Irish research. Come and share your successes and brick walls.
Sunday, February 22, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., German Interest Group, Jean A. Roth, leader.
Open session on German research. Come and share your successes and brick walls.
The next two programs begin our 2015 series of lectures on the Ethnic Heritage in the Northwest:
Saturday, February 28, 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Program: Embracing Your Ethnic Heritage, Jean A. Roth, leader. Our ancestors had a rich ethnic heritage – a story that needs to be told.
Saturday, February 28, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Program: Coming to America – Castle Gardens and Ellis Island, Jean A. Roth, leader.
Many of our ancestors came through the Port of New York and entered through Castle Gardens or Ellis Island. This program will describe entering the U.S. in the 19th and 20thcenturies.
Friday, January 30, 2015
WSGS Launches New Grant Program
Has your Society talked about doing a special project,
but been stymied by lack of funds? Do you need a special piece of equipment
like a projector or printer for your library? Well…….
The Washington State Genealogical Society is excited to
announce the creation of the “WSGS Innovative Grant Program.”
The grants, up to $100, are designed to support the inventive
and creative efforts of WSGS-member societies and organizations. We know that $100 doesn't seem like a lot of money, but we also know that
local societies can do a lot with very little, so we’re hoping the Innovative
Grant Program will be what you need to jump-start a project that has been
dreamed about for some time. Up to five grants will be awarded in 2015.
While no means comprehensive, here are some examples of projects that might be considered:
·
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;
·
Other
innovative projects that support and enhances your genealogical society.
The deadline for the Innovative Grant application is
April 1, 2015. The simple application is only ONE page and available online here.
Additional guidance on the program is here.
Eastern Washington Gen Society News Flash
.jpg)
EWGS Website Databases
currently available as of January 2015
The following databases are available on the E.W.G.S.
website (www.EWGSI.org). You do not need to log in as a
member to access these. They are FREE! This
information is for Spokane
and surrounding areas.
CATEGORY
BIBLE RECORDS
Unpublished Bible
Records This work contains 145 pages of unpublished Bible
Records from 82 Bibles. They were collected by members and friends of NeWGS and
EWGS. Transcribing was done by Lethene Dennis Parks, Geri Marvin Williamson and
Donna Potter Phillips. There are 6 separate files. The first File 1 contains
pages 1-24 and the Index for the entire series.
BIRTHS & BABIES
BUSINESS AND
GOVERNMENT
CEMETERIES
** This contains a huge amount of data. There are numerous files available but this
series is not yet complete.
CHURCHES
FUNERAL HOMES
MARRIAGES AND DISSOLUTIONS
Early Spokane
County Marriages – 1880 to 1890
MEDICAL RECORDS
MILITARY
MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS
These files were
microfilmed in the 1970's and the originals destroyed. Book “A†was a
catalog of papers concerning each court case, insanity, minors, estates of
deceased persons, and adoptions. Only those concerning deceased persons were
abstracted by Lorena Wildman in 1973. These listings are supported by case
packets filled with all applicable papers for each case. The cases cover the
years 1880-1903. Pages noted refer to the Memorandum of Files “Aâ€. The
originals of these files are now housed at the Eastern Regional Branch of the Washington State
The Spokane
County Brand Books were indexed by
EWGS member, Beverly Hixson Rowley, in 1989 at the Spokane County Washington State
PROPERTY RECORDS
This file contains 1985
births, marriages and dissolutions
SPOKANE SCHOOLS
This data base contains
alphabetical listings for early Spokane School Districts. The information
includes township and range as well as how the districts were consolidated or
transferred. A map of the districts will soon be posted in the Genealogy section
of the Spokane
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Kittitas County Gen Society News Flash
The next Kittitas County Genealogical Society Meeting will be on Monday Feb 2 2015 at 413 N. Main St,Ellensburg WA, with refreshmentsm, beginning about 7:30 pm.
Craig A. Hughes, a faculty member at CWU, will present "Both Sides of Billiongraves" as our program for Monday, Feb. 2. He describes himself as having an interest in the power of electronic tools in family history.
(You may remember him as the man who directed the Sparrow Singers 1Dec 2014 as they sang at our dinner when Lee Bates was temporarily unable to appear with the choir.)
Billiongraves.com is like findagrave.com - cemetery graves,
with special emphasis on showing the exact geographical spot in the cemetery; so we see who is buried near whom.
Currently the website has 12 million grave records and that number is doubling about every year or 2. Findagrave. com has 121 million records but is not growing as fast anymore.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Eastside Genealogical Society News Flash
The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, February 12, 2015 in the Bellevue Regional Library, Room 1, 1111 – 110th Ave NE, Bellevue 98004 at 7pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm for networking.
How DNA Can Help Your Family Tree Research
Dr. Maurice Gleeson, via YouTube videos, will explain the 3 different types of DNA testing and share interesting case studies which will help you understand how to use DNA testing to advance your research and break down some brick walls. Dr Gleeson is a medical doctor in London, England and runs several DNA projects.
Also see our website for FREE genealogical help and other Special Interest Group meetings -- www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~
Thank you,
Dorothy Pretare
EGS Publicity Chairperson
"Freedom Webinar Series" from Legacy Family Tree
Legacy Family
Tree "Freedom Webinar Series"
by Patricia Bayonne-Johnson
(Vice-President of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society)
To
celebrate the 150 anniversary of the end of slavery, Legacy Family Tree has
announced a series of four FREE webinars:
·
Researching
Ancestors in the Era of Freedom by Angela Walton-Raji, Friday, February 20,
2015
· United
States Colored Troops Civil War Widows' Pension Applications: Tell the Story by
Bernice Alexander Bennett, Friday, April
24, 2015
·
Mending
Broken Ties: Reconstructing Family Trees Sawed by Slavery by Melvin J. Collier,
Friday, July 31, 2015
·
Maps
Tell Some of the Story for African Ancestored Genealogist by Angela
Walton-Raji, September 25, 2015
FREE access is
available through the end of January for three webinars from 2014:
·
When
Freedom Came - Documenting the Family's Freedom Story by Angela Walton-Raji
·
Your
Civil War Ancestors: Beginning Your Research by Michael Hait
·
Best
Internet Resources for African American Genealogy by Angela Walton-Raji
For
registration and details, copy and paste the link into your browser:
http://news.legacyfamilytree.com/legacy_news/2015/01/freedom-webinar-series-familytreewebinarscom-celebrates-150-years-since-the-beginning-of-freedom-for.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)