Connie Davis Named One of WSGS’s Outstanding Volunteers in 2024

Mar26 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 2024 award recipients and learn why they received they received a WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Today we’re introducing Connie Timperley Davis of Castle Rock, Washington who was selected by the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society as its recipient of a WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Connie has been a very active member of LCGS for many years. She is currently a trustee, a board member and she serves on the program committee. She is a strong advocate for promoting informational and motivational speakers to present programs at each monthly meeting. She goes above and beyond in giving her own time to research potential speakers to meet the needs of the society’s members.

Connie has also taken on the responsibility of personally hand delivering the society’s flyers to various venues in order to advertise the society’s upcoming monthly meetings. Connie is most deserving of this award as she quietly and enthusiastically works behind the scenes to promote the society.

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.

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Spring Mini-Seminar

Mar25 by Charles Hansen

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

1901 S0. 12^th Ave

Union Gap, WA 98903

(509) 248 – 1328

Spring Mini-Seminar will be held

In the Y.V.G.S. Library.

Saturday, March 29, 2025

9:30 am till 12:00 Noon

$5.00 at the door.

You will not want to miss this presentation.

Richard Kyle is giving a presentation

On “Researching Death Documents”

Please sign up before Friday, March 28.

So the correct count of handouts can

be made plus purchasing of snacks can

be bought before Saturday. Please Call the

Library Between 10:00am and 4:00pm

Thursday to let us know you are coming.

Snacks, Coffee and Bottled

Water will be provided.

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG April 2025

Mar25 by Charles Hansen

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG Meeting
Tuesday, April 1, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm virtual via Zoom

This month’s topic is: 1st part of FREE Legacy Family Tree video What’s New in Legacy Family Tree 8? Yes this is correct LFT version 8. This video covers the Legacy features that first appeared in the Version 8 update and still exist in Version 10.

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. If you have any suggestions for future topics, please send them in.

We look forward to meeting with you, every month on the First Tuesday at 7:00 PM Pacific Time

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

National Genealogical Society Focus 2025

Mar25 by Charles Hansen

FOCUS 2025: A Pathway to the Future for Genealogy and Family History Organizations

Dear NGS Organization Members, Administrators, and Delegates, Join fellow organizations, the National Genealogical Society, and the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Kentucky, on 23 May 2025 for a unique experience designed to help your organization thrive. FOCUS offers time to discover new ideas, engage with other participants, and learn about planning strategically for the future. Register for FOCUS and be part of building the community of genealogy and family history organizations. The Filson is excited to welcome you, share expertise, and encourage collaboration and inspiring discussions. Enjoy making connections throughout the afternoon and takeaway practical steps to support and grow your organization. Learn More and Register for FOCUS The FOCUS program this year includes: Welcome Luncheon—While having lunch, get an introduction to the Filson and FOCUS 2025 and its relevance to outreach and engagement with an eye toward America250 in 2026. We’ll then split up into smaller groups to rotate through the three main sessions that follow. Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Tour—A special tour of archive and museum collections storage space will provide insight into the challenges and innovative solutions to an organization’s preservation needs. While exploring facilities, discuss how to create an incredible visitor experience and prepare someone for on-site research. Development and Growth—For long-term sustainability, organizations must be able to reach new people, engage members/patrons, and secure needed resources. Get tips on fundraising, including major gifts and grant writing, ideas on attracting and retaining members, and how to set your organization up for success and growth. Relationships and Structure—Organization leaders must think and plan strategically to nurture the relationships that improve their operations. Learn about managing volunteers, developing leaders, building partnerships, and creating an organizational structure and vision that encourages meaningful involvement and a bright future. Everyone is invited to participate in FOCUS! Registration is $150 for NGS individual members and $175 for non-members which covers lunch, sessions, and transportation from the Galt House Hotel to the Filson and back. Sign up through the NGS Family History Conference website (conference registration is not required to attend this pre-conference event). Learn More and Register for FOCUS

Let’s Talk About: Embalmed Meat?

Mar21 by Donna Phillips

Today, canning is a convenient and safe way to preserve all kinds of food, but in 1898 and the early 1900s, it was a very different story….. the Embalmed Meat Scandal during the Spanish-American War caused soldiers and all American citizens to lose trust in their government for a time.

Remember that refrigeration was, in those early days, an innovation not yet perfected. Experimentation in the early 1900s led to risky conclusions. No wonder the Embalmed Meat Scandal occurred.

The average soldier in the Spanish-American War had a typical ration containing 12 to 20 ounces of meat. When soldiers began opening cans of meat and discovering something that smelled of “bouquets of cesspools” they began dumping this meat into the water or eating it and feeling sick. Word quickly spread about this “embalmed beef” which was said to smell like an embalmed human body. The government and military officials tried to get the situation under control; this ultimately led to better quality control for preserving food.

The instigator of the Embalmed Meat Scandal was Major-Gen. Nelson Miles who stated on December 1, 1898, that 337 tons of embalmed beef were sent to troops in Puerto Rico the previous summer. This caused public outrage and a full scale investigation as to what was in the food American soldiers and citizens were eating.

I had read Upton Sinclair’s book, The Jungle, which describes in horrific detail how meat packing plants in Chicago operated in the early 1900s. You want a good but awful read? Try this one.

And think how this situation affected YOUR ancestors, possibly?

Let’s Talk About: Bickleton & Bluebirds

Mar21 by Donna Phillips

Did you know that our very own Bickleton in Klickitat County is known as the Bluebird Capitol of the WORLD? It’s so called because thousands of bluebirds spend most of the year in the area.

Bickleton has become a bluebird-watchers’ paradise.

The area was first settled by Charles Bickle in 1879; he established a trading post and livery stable. Like most early residents, he was also a rancher and wheat farmer. A series of fires in 1937 and 1947 destroyed many of the town’s original buildings; the oldest surviving building is the Bluebird Inn which opened in 1882 and still serves guests.

In the 1960s, Jess and Elva Brinkerhoff were picnicking in this small town and put a can in a tree for some birds. This quickly became a local fad and now there are thousands of birdhouses purposely built to house bluebirds. Both Mountain and Western Bluebirds come; the above is a Western Bluebird.

And “thousands” of bluebird watchers come every year to see these very special birds. Have you been one? Want to be one?

Washington Resource Guide Available

Mar20 by Roxanne Lowe

In a recent blog article, we shared that FamilyTree Magazine had recently published the Resource Guide for Washington State. Kathy Weber, professional genealogist and president of the Seattle Genealogical Society, authored the guide which is full of Evergreen State resources, history and links. The information included in the resource guide is available HERE.

Family Tree Magazine publishes state resource guides for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. They are available in PDF here ($9.99): https://store.familytreemagazine.com/genealogy-research-state-guides.

Charles Hansen Honored By Spokane City Council

Mar19 by Roxanne Lowe

Earlier this week, Charles Hansen was surprised with a proclamation by the Spokane City Council for his “dedicated service to the citizens of Spokane and in great celebration of the positive impact he has made in the lives of our community’s families, residents, organizations and youth.” The resolution was signed by Betsy Wilkerson, Spokane City Council President.

The proclamation (below) outlines the many endeavors that Charles has committed himself to over the years, including being Whitman Neighborhood Council Chair, volunteering to do genealogical research at the Spokane County Auditor’s Office and being a longtime member of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society.

Although in his long list of activities it doesn’t say, we are enormously proud of Charles for being the WSGS Blog Master since its inception in January 2019. He is also the #2 all-time scribe of Washington State records with 678,945 transcriptions.

Congratulations, Charles, for all you do.

Puget Sound Genealogical Society March Events

Mar19 by Charles Hansen

Here are the March events for Puget Sound Genealogical Society:

Mar 26 (Wed), 1pm: Program- Homesteading: Land for All with Christine Cohen

Mar 29 (Sat), 10:30am: Class – Social History and Church Records with Janet Camarata.

Both will be hybrid. In person at the Sylvan Way Library, 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton and on Zoom. Zoom link will be posted on our website and our Facebook page the day before.

Tacoma FamilySearch Center Family Ties That Unite Us

Mar19 by Charles Hansen

Tacoma FamilySearch Center is sponsoring the 4th Annual African American Family History Event, “Family Ties That Unite Us”, March 22, 2025 – 9am – 2pm at 1102 S Pearl St., Tacoma WA 98465. Family Ties That Unite Us is free and is open to the public of all levels of Family History ability and interest. The Event will have 200-300 in attendance. Two musical groups will perform, there will be an adult and youth keynote speakers and two Family History Speakers during the event. There are informational tables from local museums, historical societies and genealogical societies and one on one Family History assistance throughout the event.

The free luncheon includes Philly Cheese Steak and Chicken sandwiches, salads and more.

Keynote speakers will be Ethelda Burke, University Place School Board Member and past local principal, Lynese and Malando Redeemer, the current Tacoma NAACP President and Youth Pastor for Shilo Baptist Church. The Family History Speakers include Andre Escalante – a local father of 3 who will share his story about beginning Family History research, and Tamu Smith who will speak about Plantations and Reservations. Tamu is a nationally known speaker with Sistas in Zion and Time Out For Women. She will include groups and resources for researching those of Enslaved and Native American heritage.

The Tacoma FamilySearch Center will be open during the entire event with all services, including digitizing equipment – ready for tours and to sign up to use with help. The Center is located at 1102 S Pearl St, Tacoma WA 98465. On the South side (12th Street side) of the building. Watch for the green FamilySearch Center Sign. It is open 33 hours per week – Tues, Wed, & Thurs 10am – 8pm and Sat 10am – 1pm. The Center has 12 different Family History websites available for use free of charge and has 20% + more records in FamilySearch than you can access from home.

Tacoma FamilySearch Center has 47 volunteers, many who bring a tote of their own photos, slides and videos to digitize each shift they work – helping others while helping themselves. New volunteers of all levels are welcome. We are happy to train and put new people with experienced ones for a great start.

Saturday’s African American Event will be live and in person and also on zoom. The zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/96665929487 . Zoom 9:30am – 2pm

The speakers will be recorded and the recordings will be found on the Webpage

https://www.tacomaaafhe.com

Questions?

Tacoma FamilySearch Center

Mary Anderson – Director

Msynergy007@gmail.com WA_tacoma@familyhistorymail.org

253-223-1719 253-564-1103

Tacoma Family Search Center Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/153994266492384

Or come to the Tacoma FamilySearch Center