Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week 2020

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK – FOLD3 NEW UK RECORDS
  If you have an ancestor who may have served in the military of the United Kingdom between 1806-1915, be sure to check out the collection recently added to FOLD3, “UK, Militia Attestation Papers, 1806-1915”.

Fold3 explains Attestation Form data was collected on the soldier at the time of recruitment. It forms a record of military service for those who fought in conflicts during  the 1806-1915 time period. The Attestation Paper contains a wealth of information about the soldier such as parish, town, and county of birth, address at the time of enlistment, age, trade or job, a physical description of the soldier, as well as the name and address of next of kin. The files list military service rendered and whether a soldier was wounded or received medals or decorations. Quite often the date of discharge is noted.  The collection is arranged alphabetically under regiments and in order of seniority.

If you don’t have a Fold3 subscription of your own, come into the SGS Library and access it via one of our patron computers.

Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE DECADE

Welcome to 2020! Seattle has already had its first snowfall of the decade. Here’s a reminder that while normal operating hours for the SGS Library are Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, during times of inclement weather the SGS Library may be closed. During icy, snowy, excessively windy or stormy weather, call in first to make sure we are open. Our phone# is 206 522-8658.     CALLING FOR INTERESTED CANDIDATES 
FOR SGS ELECTION 2020-2021
As we move toward the upcoming SGS election in April 2020, we are seeking candidates for SGS officer and director positions. SGS is a member-driven and volunteer-run organization. We could not succeed without the support of our members and welcome anyone interested to let us know of your interest in any of these positions:

  • President
  • Vice President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Director of Education
  • Director of Library
  • Director of Membership
  • Director of Operations
  • Director of Publications
  • Director of Volunteers
  • Director of Technology
  • Director of Social Media
  • Nominating Committee (six positions, for 2021-2022 election)

Short descriptions of the duties associated with these positions can be found on the SGS website at: https://seagensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=93

New officers and directors will assume their offices in early June 2020. If you have questions regarding these positions, the outgoing directors of these offices are more than willing to discuss the position responsibilities. The new Nominating Committee members (also voted on by the membership) will not start their work until Fall 2020 in preparation for the 2021-2022 elections. 

If you have any questions or are interested in any of these positions. please email nominations@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org or call the main SGS phone# 206 522-8658 and leave a message.

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE CITY OF SEATTLE 
DOCUMENT AND DECODE HISTORY 
Thanks to Dick Eastman for staying abreast of all things genealogy including this project in Seattle that needs your help. 

In his January 8, 2020, newsletter Dick reported that Seattle Municipal Archives department needs some help and he cited a story by Ellen Meny on the King5 News website as his source. It says:  

“Seattle is rich with history- and the archivists at the Seattle Municipal Archives keep it all safe and accounted for. But as dedicated as they are, this time, they need some help. 

Part of the job as an archivist is transcribing old documents, both printed and written. Usually, the archivists use transcription software that makes it easy for them to decode handwriting or decipher old printing. However, sometimes the software gets hung-up on handwriting, which can be messy or hard to read. That’s where you come in.”

This is a job you will do online from the comfort of your home. If you are interested in helping out, read the full story at : http://bit.ly/39QSi4s  “The Price of Love:
American Women, the Cable Act and Lost Citizenship” 
February 8, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm
Lisa Oberg kicks off Seattle Genealogical Society’s lecture and workshop series: Women’s Suffrage in your Family History with this lecture you won’t want to miss it. 


American women proselytized and protested for more than 70 years to finally win the right to vote. And yet, the victory wasn’t complete with the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920. In this session, Lisa explores the rights of women from the founding of America’s colonies to the turmoil of the suffrage era in the 20th century and beyond. She will delve into various laws that have affected the rights of your female ancestors.   SAVE THE DATE
Spring 2020 SGS Seminar 
with Fritz Juengling,
Fairview Christian School,
844 NE 78th St,
Seattle, WA
Saturday, May 16, 2020   Mr Juengling is the German, Dutch and Scandinavian Research Specialist at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. SGS is happy to have Fritz as the presenter for our spring seminar.  

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS
  Unless otherwise indicated all programs will be at the SGS Library, 6200 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes,  and corrections. Programs may be canceled or postponed because of inclement weather. 
JANUARY

Saturday, January 18, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Irish  SIG, with Jean Roth
Saturday, January 18, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, German  SIG, with Jean Roth

Saturday, January 25, 10:00am-12:30pm, DNA SIG, Meets quarterly in the fellowship hall of Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE, Seattle. Come early for the Beginner Session 9:30-10:00am. Co-chairs Cary Bright & Herb McDaniel. An annual $5 contribution is collected at the door to fund rental of the space.   

FEBRUARY

Saturday, February 8, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, FamilySearch  SIG, with leader Lou Daly, discover the many ways to use Family Tree & FamilySearch.org. Each meeting will feature an aspect of the FamilySearch website.  There will be time for Q&A.  

Saturday, February 8,  1:00 pm-3:00 pm, Second Saturday Series: “The Price of Love: American Women, the Cable Act and Lost Citizenship” – presenter will be Lisa Oberg. American women proselytized and protested for more than 70 years to finally win the right to vote. And yet, the victory wasn’t complete with the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920. Come learn more. 

Saturday, February 15, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Irish  SIG, with Jean Roth
Saturday, February 15, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, German  SIG, with Jean Roth 


Not a SGS member yet? Join now for $60

During January 1st through March 31st, 2020, new members may join the Seattle Genealogical Society with a membership that extends through May 31, 2021. Dues are $60 individual, or $75 dual (two people in the same household). That’s nearly a year and a half of free research requests, discounted class and event registration fees, and access to exclusive SGS publications and databases. Read more…
Join Online Now

Whitman County Genealogical Society April 2020 Free Seminar

by Charles Hansen

For questions or more information contact WCGS President, Sue Kreikemeier at: 509-635-1303 or aerocraft@completebbs.com. Please RSVP to Sue or whitmancgs@gmail.com by March 28 to accommodate handouts & refreshments. The seminar is free, but donations are welcome at the door.

Directions: Turn off Bishop Boulevard onto Klemgard Ave., follow Klemgard Ave. up the hill and turn left at the top. Do not go into the front entrance, but turn right, continuing up the hill and turn left at the white car ports. Find an appropriate parking place, enter the building through the main doors and go straight ahead to the Social Room.

BIOGRAPHIES OF SPRING SEMINAR SPEAKERS

Robert King’s biography includes the following:

Robert E. King grew up in Pullman where he graduated from WSU with degrees in Anthropology and History.  He completed his Ph.D. at the Univ. of Pennsylvania in Anthropology (specialty: Ethnohistory & Archaeology) and since 1981 has worked for the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska.  He has been the BLM’s State Archaeologist in Alaska for over 33 years, with his work taking him to much of the state.  He has a strong interest in federal land laws including homesteading, and has spoken and written on this subject for several years.  Currently, he writes a guest monthly column on the history of homesteading for the Homestead National Monument of America’s electronic newsletter.  Locally, he is best known in Whitman County as a frequent contributor to the “Bunchgrass Historian,” having authored over 30 articles in the past nearly 25 years on a variety of topics.  He is also an avid genealogist and has co-written several books on various families, with some of his relatives settling in Whitman County in the 1870s.  He maintains homes in both Anchorage and Pullman.  

Steven Branting’s biography includes the following:

Since 2000, many of this country’s leading history, geography and preservation organizations — including the American Association for State and Local History, The History Channel and the Society for American Archaeology — have honored Steven Branting for the depth, scope and variety of his research and field work.

In 2009, he was nominated for the American Historical Association’s prestigious William and Edwyna Gilbert Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the teaching of history through the publication of journal articles. Branting has written eight (8) books on the history of Lewiston. Branting’s articles have appeared in, among others, the Western Historical Quarterly, The History Teacher, Idaho Magazine, Nostalgia and Idaho Yesterdays.

The Idaho State Historical Society conferred upon him the 2011 Esto Perpetua Award, its highest honor, citing his leadership in “some of the most significant preservation and interpretation projects undertaken in Idaho.” Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter awarded him that year’s Outstanding Cultural Tourism Award for showcasing Idaho’s heritage.

In 2013, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution awarded Branting its coveted Historical Preservation Medal. In 2015, Lewis-Clark State College selected him for the Marion Shinn Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2016 he was awarded the President’s Medallion for his efforts to safeguard the heritage that the college and community have shared since the 1890s.

During 2018, the Lewiston Tribune published 104 of his columns highlighting events and people who featured greatly in the history of Lewis-Clark State College, which was celebrating its 125h anniversary and for whom Branting holds the office of “Institutional Historian,” the first since Henry Leonidas Talkington in the 1940s.

Branting’s eighth Lewiston book — The Words That Were Our Names — was released in October 2019.




Olympia Genealogical Society March 2020 Seminar

by Charles Hansen

GENEALOGY SEMINAR ON GERMAN ANCESTRAL ORIGINS

On March 28 Teresa Steinkamp-McMillin will be Olympia Genealogical Society’s speaker for their annual Spring Seminar. Her series of “Ancestral Origins Through the Eyes of a German Genealogist” will include presentations on Kickstarting Your German Genealogy, He Took Her Name, Voyages of Our German Immigrants, and Petition to Oath, U.S. Naturalization for Genealogists.

This day-long event will be at Capital Event Center, 6005 Tyee Drive SW, Tumwater, off Exit 102 of I-5. Community members pay $60, with optional box lunch $15 additional. Registration is open now, but the price increases by $5 after March 1 if any seats remain. See our website at http://www.OlyGenSoc.org for more information and the registration form.

Ms. Steinkamp-McMillin, CG, researches German ancestry and reads German script. She’s taught at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research and Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She’s also author of “Guide to Hanover Military Records, 1514-1866” and has created courses for Ancestry Academy and Legacy.

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday 2020 E-News

by Charles Hansen
THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition January 9, 2020
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
gfo.org | 503-963-1932 | info@gfo.org Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR.
Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider
You Did It! Thank You!
We can’t thank you enough! We made our fundraising goal! Our volunteer who processes donations found another $989 in checks in the mail this week. That is just enough to put us $173 over our $28,500 goal.
This helps tremendously to handle some unexpected cost increases that came in late last year. We are so grateful to all of you!
Spring Seminar with Karen Stanbary: Solve Puzzles with DNA
Registration is now underway for our 2020 Spring Seminar, “Solve Puzzles with DNA,” on April 4 & 5, to be presented by national genetic genealogy author and educator Karen Stanbary, CG®, MA, LCSW. The Saturday, April 4 classes, will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.at Portland’s Center for Self Enhancement (SEI). Karen will guide experienced beginners and above in learning how to manage and interpret DNA evidence, then how to incorporate it into existing documentary research. As a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Karen will also provide guidance on managing conversations about unexpected DNA results. If you register now, the cost for GFO members for this full day is just $45 and for non-members, $50. The Sunday half-day classes on April 5 will be held at the GFO from 9:30 a.m. – Noon. Deepen and expand your intermediate- to advanced-level skills as Karen presents more complex genealogy puzzles requiring more complex DNA evidence analysis. Early registration price for this half-day is just $25 for GFO members and $30 for non-members. Download the Seminar Flyer for more details.

Take advantage of those Early-Bird Registration prices! On March 1, all prices will increase by $5. This is a great opportunity to learn more about solving those genealogy puzzles with the use of DNA.
Register Now
February Workshop: Advanced Excel for Genealogy
Spreadsheets can be a powerful tool to help you in analyzing your genealogical data and keeping track of your research; and they are essential in managing your DNA information. From 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, join BCG Certified Genealogist, Mary Kircher Roddy, as she presents a hands-on guide for the experienced spreadsheet user using Excel to gain perspective on and to further your genealogy research. For a more complete description, download the seminar flyer. Seating is limited to 30 people! Everyone gets a spot at a table. Participants should bring their (fully charged) laptops pre-loaded with Excel. A frequent lecturer in the Seattle area, as well occasionally farther afield, Mary is an active member of Seattle Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Speakers Guild, the Association of Professional Genealogists, and the National Genealogical Society. She has published articles in Family Chronicle, Internet Genealogy, and the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. For Early-Bird Registration on or before Jan. 31, the fee is $30.00 for GFO Members and $35.00 for non-members. The price increases $5 on Feb. 1.
Register Now
A Project in Need of Help
We are looking for an extremely detail-oriented person to create a complete archive copy of GFO’s Bulletin. We currently have shelf copies of our journal, going back to the 1950s, and we have an archive file of “original” unbound material. The problem: There are pages in the bound copies that are not in the archive file, and we’ve discovered that there are pages that are missing from both. What’s needed: One master copy that includes all pages we have and a list of missing pages. The deadline for competing that list: May 15, 2020. We have a volunteer going to Salt Lake City in May who will look at copies of the Bulletin held by the Family History Library to see if the missing pages can be found and copied. This would be a perfect job for two people to do together because it is challenging to turn and compare the pages in both without an extra pair of hands. The job must be done at the GFO but can be done on your schedule. If this sounds like a project you’d be willing to tackle, please contact Laurel at library@gfo.org.
News from the Library:What’s New in Digital Files
Family history periodicals: • Arthur Family Newsletter
• Ballew Family Journal
• Beatty Clearinghouse
• Bell-A-Peal
• Bilyeu Blood Lines
• Bilyeu By You
Society Periodicals: • Root Cellar Preserves, Sacramento Genealogical Society
• Cariboo Notes, Quesnel Branch, British Columbia Genealogical Society
• The Arkansas Family Historian, Arkansas Genealogical Society
• The Pioneer, Douglas County (Kansas) Genealogical Society
• Digital Digest, Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
• Skagit Valley Genealogical Society Summer Journal
• The Berkshire Family Historian, (replaces Berkshire Genealogist) Berkshire Family History Association
New books (each followed by its call number: Glozier, Matthew. The Huguenot soldiers of William of Orange and the “Glorious Revolution” of 1688: the lions of Judah . Brighton [England] Portland, Or, Sussex Academic Press, 2002. 941 .Ethnic Hug Mil-Yr 1685-1688 Childs, John. The British army of William III, 1689-1702. Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1987. 941 .Mil-Yr 1698-1702 Army Chil O’Laughlin , Michael C. Families of Co. Clare, Ireland: from the earlist times to the 20th century : family surnames with locations & origins, including Old Irish, English and Anglo-norman settlers and settlements. Kansas City, MO, Irish Genealogical Society, 1996. 942.6 Clare .Biog Surn OLau An historical, environmental and cultural atlas of County Donegal. Cork, Ireland, Cork University Press, 2013. 942.6 Done .Hist-Au MacL Rosenthal, Caitlin. Accounting for slavery: masters and management. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 2018. 970 .Ethnic Black Slav Econ Rose Jarvis, Michael. In the eye of all trade: Bermuda, Bermudians, and the maritime Atlantic world, 1680-1783. Chapel Hill, Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Virginia, by the University of North Carolina Press, 2010. 972.99 .Bus Marine 16 80-1783 Jarv Bolster, W. Jeffrey. Black jacks: African American seamen in the age of sail. Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1997. 973 .Ethnic Black Marine Bols Hitt, Michael D. Charged with treason: ordeal of 400 mill workers during military operations in Roswell, Georgia, 1864-1865. Monroe, N.Y, Library Research Associates, 1992. 975.85 Fult Rosw .Mil-Yr 1864-1865 Hitt Wise, Erma (Clement). Pioneering days in Oregon. New York, Vantage Press, 1955. 979.55 .Biog Clem Wise Speidel, Bill. Sons of the profits, or, There’s no business like grow business: the Seattle story, 1851-1901. 979.75 King Seat .Hist-Yr 1851-1901
Surplus Book: 1918 Jefferson High School Yearbook
Step back in Portland, Oregon history with the Jefferson High School Spectrum from 1918. This is a yearbook to commemorate what was called then as the June Class. This edition, coming as it did at the end of World War I, includes a list of Jefferson students serving in the military and their branch.
These old yearbooks are filled with advertisements from that era, as well as photos of class members and several pages of “prophecies” for many class members.
The cover of this 103 page yearbook is ratty on the edges, but the spine is sound and all pages inside are clean and in good condition. Our price to pickup: $20 Price to ship to you: $25 If you’d like this book, please contact booksales@gfo.org.
Survey Results:
Of those who responded (only 35) most report that they like the survey. And we got some great ideas for future surveys.
Here are a few responses to the question and some feedback about the survey: If you were doing the survey, what question(s) would you ask?
• Not about volunteer events but bona fide genealogical or research topics.
• To keep it interesting, I would suggest doing it quarterly instead of more often.
• Honestly, I really love the survey because it reflects the connections we have to our ancestors and each other. I think you do a great job coming up with the questions. Thank you for the time and work you put into it.
• Of course my mind just went blank.
New Survey: Hitting the Road? Do your genealogy plans this year include travel? Might you be going to a conference or traveling to an archive? Tell us more in this week’s survey.
Take The Survey
This week at GFO …
Saturday, January 11th
Great Lakes Region Group 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
We welcome guest speaker Duane Funk who will discuss European Ports, Shipping Lines and Ships. A common question genealogists ask is: Exactly how did my ancestor get from Britain or Europe to North America? We will go beyond researching passenger lists and look at the ports themselves, the ships they served, and what the crossing was like. We look forward to gaining a new and richer understanding of the experiences of our immigrant ancestors. Questions? Contact us at greatlakes@gfo.org.
Writer’s Forum 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Join this peer group of genealogists, who meet to learn about writing and to share our writing with each other. Peggy Baldwin facilitates this group and can be reached at writers@gfo.org.
Sunday, January 12th
Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – noon
There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come. There’s lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there.
Tuesday, January 14th
GFO Board Meeting 6:10 – 8:10 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.
Wednesday, January 15th
Learn & Chat 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
The “Chat” portion of Learn & Chat has always been a lively unplanned discussion where we share successes, frustrations, challenges, tech tips, report on research trips, seminars, conferences and so on. The “Learn” portion goes back to the basics of genealogy. In the next several sessions we will be looking at the 3 aspects of the Genealogy Proof Standards as set forth by the Board for Certification of Genealogists in the “BCG Genealogical Standards Manual”. Join us to talk about your genealogy, support others and hopefully learn something new. Facilitated by Sandy Alto and Jeanne Quan.
Send questions to: learnandchat@gfo.org.
GFO Library Open Late to 8:00 p.m.

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society January 2020 Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Happy New Year!!!!
Our January Monthly Meeting is this coming Tuesday, January 14 at Bates Community College, South Campus.
6:00 pm Member Networking and Sharing6:30 – 8:30 pm Business Meeting and Program
Our speaker is JoAnn Huber, and her topic is BEGINNING GENEALOGY. Even though it is titled Beginning, there will be lots of new stuff and all of us need a review from time to time.  JoAnn comes to us from the Genealogy Library in Sumner and has talked on this topic many times.
You will need a 2020 parking permit; so if you do not have one, we will have some extras at the sign in desk.

Hope to see everyone there!
TPCGS monthly meetings are held September through June from 6 pm to 9 pm, usually at Bates Technical College, South Campus, Building E, 2201 South 78th St., Tacoma.
Guests are always welcome, so bring a friend! For more information check our website at www.tpcgs.org.
Jane Irish Nelson, TPCGS Webmaster

Heritage Quest Research Library January Class

by Charles Hansen
January 2020 Class Schedule
Join us on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 
as we Welcome our speaker
Michael Lee Stills.
10:30 AM
 
  Myths, Legends and Lies: The Dangers of Family History Research Can you handle the truth? Family History Research is a burgeoning pursuit thanks to TV pro-grams like “Who Do You Think You Are?” “Genealogy Roadshow” and “Finding Your Roots.” But before you jump in, have you asked yourself if you are prepared for what you might discover? Together we will be opening closets to expose skeletons, peeking under the lid of Pan-dora’s Box, and shining light on the ethical dilemmas you may encounter in the quest to find your missing ancestors. They may have good reasons for why they are hiding from you.
 
$20.00 members $25.00 non members
For reservations please stop by HQRL or call HQRL at 253-863-1806. Due to the size of our classroom after reserving a seat, if you are unable to attend the class, please call to cancel so that others may attend.