WSGS Vice President and Treasurer Nominee Statements

by Roxanne Lowe

LeAnne Koliha of Marysville has been nominated to serve as WSGS Vice President for the 2025-2026 term. Additionally, Frank McLean of Yakima has been nominated for another term as Treasurer. The term of offices is 01 Jan 2025 through 31 Dec 2026.

Online voting for the slate will begin 08 Dec 2024 and run through 15 Dec. All WSGS members will receive an email with a Google link to their anonymous ballot. Members are asked to vote for each position. Write-in nominations are allowed. There is also space for suggestions and comments.

LeAnne’s candidate statement:

LeAnne Kohila

I am excited to be nominated as Vice President of the Washington Society Genealogical Society. I look forward to this opportunity to serve as WSGS continues to find ways to support the local societies and individual genealogists.

I was born in Yakima, Washington, and have spent most of my life on оne side of the mountains or the other. After high school I spent a year as an exchange student living in The Netherlands. I graduated from Central Washington University with a major in special education.

After teaching for nine years, I went back to school myself. I received my law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School in 1985. I retired from the law in 1996. Being retired was boring so I went back into education until 2009.

My husband and I lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana from 2010 until his health required him to take medical retirement and we returned to the Northwest.

I have been interested in genealogy for years. I have had the good fortune to be able to research my father’s family by visiting the areas of France and Germany where his parents were born. I am member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Lady Stirling Chapter in Bothell, and Daughters of the American Colonists, Pilchuck Chapter in Lynnwood, where I am the chapter registrar. I am just finishing a term as vice president of the library for the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society.

Frank’s candidate statement:

I have been a member of WSGS since 1988 and have served in nearly every office, including President and Treasurer. I am currently WSGS Treasurer, as well as chair of the Pioneer Certificate Program and chief reviewer of the Pioneer Pursuit effort. I am also the Buildings and Grounds supervisor at the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society.

Frank McLean

I have a vested interest in seeing the society become a more useful organization to local societies and individual genealogists. Over the years, I have seen a lot of changes in WSGS, but am hoping for more. I am particularly interested in making WSGS an organization that provides value to societies. WSGS is interested in what services and opportunities it can provide. I also hope we can generate interest in expanding individual participation, maybe serving on the board or helping some other way. I would appreciate your support in moving WSGS in a positive direction.

Let’s Talk About: SUOENALLECSIM! Spell it backwards!

by Donna Phillips

I was so happy to learn that I was not the only one crazy for Rubber Duckies! I just learned that in Point Roberts, Washington, is the world’s first Rubber Duck History Museum!!!!!! Krystal and Neil King opened the museum in 2024 and have had many visitors so far. Krystal reported that her favorite comment from a visitor so far was “Oh My G(osh). Why?” The Kings say they won’t charge admission; they just want people to come in and leave happier. (This is part of my collection.)

Polish Pickle Soup: Just what you want for dinner!  Known as Zupa Ogorkowa, or Sour Cucumber Soup, here’s the recipe:

In large soup pot, add broth, celery, parsley, carrot, onion into 5 cups of water. Add bay leaf, dab of allspice, peppercorns and salt. When boiling, add 3 medium chopped potatoes or pasta or rice, 2 cups of chopped dill pickles and 1/3 cup cream. Simmer 2 hours and enjoy. I’d love to hear from you how you liked it……… IF you make it. 

History of Envelopes:  In 1952, the Envelope Manufacturers Assn of America published a little 5×8, 80 page book titled The History of Envelopes. The book opens with this quote from the Cosmopolitan Art Journal, 1860: “The little paper enclosure which we term “envelope” sustains such an important relation to our social, commercial political, and moral world as to render it eminently worthy of notice as our hands. It has now become the vade mecum of thought transportation….. crossing seas, threading rivers, chasing up railways, exploring the solitary paths of the forest and plains, pursuing expresses and telegraphic messengers; it is almost everywhere doing, for rich and poor alike, its good offices and trusty services.” I rescued this little book from a Goodwill bin and found it a really fun read. Wanna borrow it? Be happy to loan it. But it is available as a used book on various websites. 

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Court House Records in Colonial Virginia

by Charles Hansen

Steven W. Morrison

Genealogist and lecturer

Court House Records in

Colonial Virginia

Speaker at the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society’s

December 12th Zoom meeting.

Virtual meeting doors will open at 6:30 pm and speaker’s

program will begin at 7:00 pm. Public is invited to attend

For a link to join the meeting contact lcgsgen@yahoo.com

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week Find a Grave

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –
GET THE MOST OUT OF FIND A GRAVE

Find a Grave — the crowd-sourced cemetery website — is a wonderful resource for genealogists and history buffs alike. But like any crowd-sourced material, such as the FamilySearch tree, it is important to verify the information found there.

Slate recently delved into the history of the site. Senior editor Tony Ho Tran talked to active users and discussed recent controversies. He also explains how he used the site to help solve a family mystery.

There is so much to explore on Find a Grave. One underused feature they offer is the ability to create virtual cemeteries for people of interest to users! Create a free account and start adding memorials to a virtual cemetery! 

Seattle Genealogical Society Explore Your Mexican Heritage

by Charles Hansen

MEXICAN SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP LAUNCHES
JANUARY 9

Do you have family history or ethnicity that might be called Indigenous North American, Spanish, Cuban, Hispanic?

Did you have ancestors who lived in Mexico, the Mexican Empire, or the Spanish Empire?

Even if your family no longer lives in those places, if you research people with history from the lands of Mexican ancestry, this SIG is for you!

Join leader Diane Hughes-Hart, an experienced genealogist and instructor who has been studying the ancestry of her Mexican mother since 2010.

The group will meet monthly, ten times per year, at 7:00 p.m. for 90 minutes (not in August or December) on a weekday to be decided. Come to the virtual inaugural meeting January 9, at 7:00 p.m. to help decide on a permanent time going forward.

Contact Diane Hughes-Hart via Education@seagensoc.org to join.

images courtesy
Sheyna Watkins

GET ORGANIZED WITH HELP FROM SGS CLASS

Managing all the information that is collected recording family history is a challenge. Papers, both physical and digital, accumulate and can be easily lost. To help researchers SGS will be offering a “Organizing for Genealogy” class in February. Through targeted and thoughtful presentations and exercises, instructor Susan McKee will help participants create a system of organization, or adapt their current system, to meet their specific research needs.

Successful organization starts with organizing ourselves. Over the course of four sessions we will look at why and how we research as the foundation of an effective personal organizational system.

Questions about who, what, where, and when we research clarify how best to apply our time, energy, and resources. This enables us to create and maintain a system of organization that best supports our needs as we engage in genealogical research.

Four weekly, two-hour class sessions:

Session 1: Organizing Our Self – Our thoughts, actions, time, and space
Session 2: Organizing Our System – Paper systems and Digital Systems
Session 3: Organizing Our Workflow – Research, Records, and Resources
Session 4: Pulling it all together – Developing a tailored organization system

Choose one of two class series during February 2025

Mondays evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., February 3–24
Tuesday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., February 4-25
Sign Up Today!

Each class series is limited to 20 participants.
Class Fee: $80 (SGS members $60)

WRITER’S GROUP SEEKS NEW MEMBER

The Pass It On writer’s group has openings for 1 or 2 new members. The group is intentionally kept small, just 5-6 members. It focuses on writing genealogy history and memoirs for personal and family use. It meets monthly to review 3-5 pages of writing from each member. The group meets virtually using Zoom on the third Tuesday of each month from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon with the focus to review each member’s monthly submission for content, continuity, and interest for the intended audience.

If you are interested in joining this group, please contact the SGS Director of Education (education@seagensoc.org), who will forward your information to Kathi Hamilton, one of the current group members. Please include some information about your writing and what you hope to accomplish being in a writing group. You will be contacted to see if this group is a good fit for you.

GIVING TUESDAY IS DECEMBER 3

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support the Seattle Genealogical Society and Library during our Annual Appeal this holiday season. There are many ways to give, by check, credit card, from your IRA or donor advised fund. And now SGS can accept shares of stock.
Donate Now Online
If you have a PayPal account, you may donate to SGS via the PayPal Giving Fund and their transaction fee will be waived.

LOOKING FOR TECH HELP

SGS is planning to modernize the computer backup system used in the Library and could use some help. There are two computers (both on Windows 11) on the library network for which we want to make routine backups. The plan is to use external USB drives for the backup storage. If you have any experience setting up an automated backup for Windows computers on a network and would be willing to help us get this done, please contact either Ann Wright (libtech@seagensoc.org) or Jim Secan (mactech@seagensoc.org).

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Good Shepherd Center, Suite 302
4649 Sunnyside Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
206 522-8658

Hours : Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
** 10:00 a.m .- 3:00 p.m. **

Always check the SGS Website Calendar of Events for the meeting links, registration, or for last minute updates or changes to the schedule. Be advised you may need to register in advance to join a meeting.

All times listed are Pacific Time unless otherwise noted

Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, with Cary Bright and Craig Gowens. To participate you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list. Contact Cary Bright at sgsdnasig@seagensoc.org to join.

Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. Remember the new Zoom link started this month.

Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Pacific Northwest Interest Group (Virtual), Share information and discuss Pacific Northwest genealogical research. Register on the SGS website.

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, 10:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m., FamilySearch SIG, Discover the many ways to use the FamilySearch website in your research. Meeting includes instruction and time for Q&A. Email Lou to get on the email list: loudaly@nwlink.com.

Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. Remember the new Zoom link started this month.

Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., SGS Board of Directors Meeting (Virtual), All SGS members are welcome to attend. SGS is an all volunteer organization. Please be involved. Members must sign in to website to see Zoom link.

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., Tech Tuesday (Virtual), informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary. Bring us your problem; we’ll try to help.

Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, 1:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Second Saturday, “Exploring Your Empire State Roots,” Presented by Michelle Dowd Torosian. Are you interested in tracing your family’s roots in New York but aren’t sure where to start? Learn tips and techniques to best utilize the use records of the Empire State. Register here.

Sunday, Dec. 15, 2023, 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm, Virtual Sunday: Something Old, Something New, Topic and speaker TBA. See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information. Please register in advance.

Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. Remember the new Zoom link started this month.

Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Write It Up! SIG (Virtual), Join this group to share and discuss writing projects, resources, and ideas. To join or learn more, contact SGS Director of Education (education@seagensoc.org).

Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., “Pass It On” Writers’ Group, Create your family history and share with others in an effort to improve your writing. Please note: The Writers’ Group is at the maximum number of participants and is not currently accepting any new members.

Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-noon, Irish SIG (Virtual), with Susan McKee. Share information and discuss Irish ancestral research. View SGS calendar for details on joining this group.

Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m, German SIG (Virtual), Share what you know OR get help with problems in your own research. Register on the SGS website.

Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. Remember the new Zoom link started this month.

Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. Remember the new Zoom link started this month.

Saturday, Jan. 1, 2025, 10:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m., FamilySearch SIG, Discover the many ways to use the FamilySearch website in your research. Meeting includes instruction and time for Q&A. Email Lou to get on the email list: loudaly@nwlink.com.

Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. Remember the new Zoom link started this month.

Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Pacific Northwest Interest Group (Virtual), Share information and discuss Pacific Northwest genealogical research. Register on the SGS website.

Wednesday, Dec. 8 2025, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., MAC Computer SIG, Jointly sponsored by SGS and Fiske. Meetings address topics and resources for Macintosh (Apple) computers and the Reunion genealogy software program. A link to login will be sent to the MAC SIG email list. If you would like to join, send an email to macusersig@seagensoc.org to be added to the email list.

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, 7:00 p.m.-8:30 a.m., Mexican SIG (Virtual), Share information and discuss Indigenous North American, Spanish, Cuban, and Hispanic genealogical research. Email Education@seagensoc.org to join.

Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Holiday Open House, Join us for our annual holiday celebration in the SGS library at the Good Shepherd Center. Bring cookies to share and say hello to your SGS friends IN PERSON at the library. Come early, come late (not too late). Stay for the Second Saturday Zoom presentation.

Saturday, Jan. 14, 2025, 1:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Second Saturday, “Research Logs: Write or Regret It!,” Presented by Rebecca Whitman Koford. Organizing is key to understanding. This presentation introduces three organizational tools, including strategic use of timelines, and how they can work together to improve your analysis skills and get closer to finding the answers you need. Register here.

OUR NEIGHBORS AND BEYOND

“Piecing Together History: Using Maps and Directories to Rediscover Eastern European Towns” (Virtual)
Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State
Friday, Dec. 9, 7:00 p.m.

Michelle Chubenko, AG, will share how to use published materials such as gazetteers, schematisms, directories, and maps to build the historical image of your ancestral town or village. She will demonstrate how to use the statistical data and incorporate visual details using a variety of examples from locations across Central and Eastern Europe… For more information about the event see the website.

“How to Avoid Common Family History Pitfalls and Myths” (Virtual)
American Ancestors by NEHGS
Thursday, Dec. 19, 2025, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will share her top tips for avoiding common “hazards” in your research process. She’ll discuss how to develop a research plan, staying organized, analyzing your research, and more. For more information see the website.

“Finding the Origins of an Immigrant Ancestor” (Virtual)
Eastside Genealogical Society
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, 7:00 p.m. (virtual doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Join Eastside Genealogical Society and Debbie Gurtler, AG and Assistant Director of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City as the explore methods to find the homeland of an immigrant ancestor. This presentation will highlight the methodology and U.S. record types that should help you identify their hometown so you can expand your family tree. A case study highlighting the methodology needed will also be presented. For more information about the event see the EGS website.

“AI (Artificial Intelligence) Made Easy:
Boosting Your Genealogy Research with Technology” (Virtual)
Olympia Genealogical Society
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, 8:50 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Speaker Blaine Bettinger, will outline how AI can aid your research. In this 4-hour seminar he will cover:

Using Artificial Intelligence Tools for Genealogy
10 Generative AI Prompts Every Genealogist Needs to Know
Ethical Issues Associated with Generative Artificial Intelligence
Memories in the Digital Age: AI Transcription of Handwritten Diaries

For more information about the event see the OGS website.

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    December 1, 2024

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Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Writing Family History SIG

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society Writing Family History
Wednesday, December 11, 2024, starting at 7:00 PM via Zoom

The Writing Family History Special Interest Group (WFH-SIG) supports TPCGS members in documenting, writing, and preserving their family histories—formally or informally. Monthly meetings will provide a mix of presentations, writing exercises, and peer reviews to help members make progress in their projects.

Meeting invite with links in file attached below

Date & Time: Every month on the Second Wednesday, starting at 7:00 PM Pacific Time

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

Monthly: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/tZMoc-2qqDMjHNXnACfWJ0dop_pMeQXMRoYM/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGvqz8uGNKduR-GRpwEGY-gLOrwplxEgo1lkj7GBRd5Mgf5Jt1SH7dOKPXi

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87544268961?pwd=oNtdztP51tePuSn3bt45J3wuxnGXzl.1
Meeting ID: 875 4426 8961
Passcode: 328639

One tap mobile:
+12532158782,,87544268961#,,,,*328639# US (Tacoma)
+12532050468,,87544268961#,,,,*328639# US

Dial by your location:
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• +1 253 205 0468 US
Meeting ID: 875 4426 8961
Passcode: 328639

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kclCP1SsOV

Let’s Talk About: Ships They Came On

by Donna Phillips

ShipIndex.org is a website like no other. Last post I highlighted the emigrant port of Antwerp; for this post I’ll tell you where to learn about the ships on which the immigrants sailed to America.
Peter McCracken is a librarian by profession and founder of www.ShipIndex.org. This is a free database “of any named vessel mentioned in an English speaking source.” The database can include vessels to/from other countries IF the source is in English. Currently, there are nearly 1300 resources in the database, with over 600,000 named vessels there. 


McCracken (through the website) recently offered a free webinar. He opened the lesson with “How to do maritime history research?” He then explained that most Americans have immigrant ancestors and he rightly guessed that most would love to find information on the ship that carried their ancestor to America. “ShipIndex offers that sort of help,” he proudly explained.


Folks might use the database for other than immigrant research. “Wouldn’t you like a picture of the ship your parents honeymooned on? Or vacationed on? Or did military service on? Or was transported to war on? Or maybe took a ferry ride on? 


You must know the NAME of the ship in order to find information. 

My husband served on the nuclear submarine SSBN Alexander Hamilton, 617. Cool, eh???  Thank you, ShipIndex and Peter McCracken!!

Let’s Talk About: Red Star Line, 60 Years of Immigration

by Donna Phillips

In spring of 2024, on my Viking trip to The Netherlands, we did visit Antwerp in Belgium. Our riverboat was moored steps away from the Red Star Line Museum and I could NOT wait to walk through those doors! 

The several floors and rooms of the museum were so well done and informative; I realized that the emigrant experience explained there could be considered parallel to many such immigration ports in Europe. 

Of course I visited the gift shop and of course I purchased the above 240-page book and happily hauled all three pounds of it home. The opening sentence speaks:

“On 1 December 1934, the ships of the Red Star Line were making their last voyage. Over the previous seventy years, they had transported an estimated 2.5 million passengers, both rich and poor alike. They had enticed emigrants from all over Europe to come to Antwerp and take a boat to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.”

These are the chapters in the book:

  • Millions of people, one dream
  • Story of a shipping company
  • Story of a place (Antwerp)
  • A Belgian story
  • A European story
  • An American story
  • A universal story (“migration, the great human story”)

I’d be happy to loan you my book or Amazon and other used book websites offer copies. If you want to better understand European emigration and immigration, this book is your read. 

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG Meeting
Tuesday, December 3, 2024, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm virtual via Zoom

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.
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