MESSAGE FROM HEIDI MAIR,
​SGS DIRECTOR OF VOLUNTEERS

Welcome to all new and returning Seattle Genealogical Society Members!

SGS is a member-driven and volunteer-run organization. We could not succeed without the support of our members, and the talents and dedication of our volunteers. The benefits of volunteering include camaraderie with fellow genealogists, sharing genealogical tips, enhancing your current skills, or discovering skills you never knew you had!

The following are just some of the many tasks our dedicated volunteers do on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis:

• Library Desk Volunteer –  desk volunteers keep our library open & running Tuesday – Sunday
• Bulk mailings
• Books sales
• Community outreach
• Plan and present educational programs
• Event planning – including our twice-yearly seminars
• Bookkeeping, auditing, grant-writing, fund-raising
• Library work, including inventory, cataloging, indexing, archival work
• Maintenance, facilities, technology
• Write articles for the ENews! or Bulletin; keep our website & Facebook page current
• Leadership – serve on a committee or as a board member
• And much, much more!

If you would like to volunteer, please contact me, Heidi L Mair, Director of Volunteers, via email at volunteers@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org to set up a time to talk – in person or on the phone. I look forward to speaking with you. And be sure to mark your calendars now for the SGS Volunteer Appreciation Day on September 24th, 10 am – 7 pm at the SGS library. Watch for details!   

WRIGHT’S CREMATORIUM

INDEXING PROJECT
Many years ago, members of Seattle Genealogical Society transcribed, by hand, the records from Wright’s Crematorium in Seattle. These transcriptions are a list of remains cremated by Wright’s from September 1, 1905 thru December 31, 1915. In some cases these transcriptions have information not found elsewhere. For example, Henry Rea died in October of 1908 (as shown on his death certificate), but was not cremated until July 1910, and his ashes were sent to New York. Another example is that the remains of Tom Elgie, who died in March 1908, were scattered on a lawn.

SGS would like to make these handwritten transcriptions available to researchers. This requires indexing of names and death dates to establish a searchable database.
You all are invited to help us index this important project. It can be done from the comfort of your own home. Crowd Sourced Indexing (CSI) is an online indexing tool/application available to genealogical societies and other organizations for precisely this purpose.

Go to the Crowd Sourced Indexing website. If this is your first time, you will need to register and join the SGS Group. Then click on “View All Projects”, select Seattle in the drop down menu found under “Select a Geographical Location to Search”, and then below the title “Projects in Progress”, you’ll find Wrights Crematorium.
Please be sure to read the project instructions before starting on the project. This one is a little different than the Ballard VFW Project that was just completed.

Here’s the link to the Crowd Sourced Indexing website:
https://csindexing.com 

 

 

SGS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS FOR THE

72ND ANNUAL PACIFIC NORTHWEST

SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES,

ENUMCLAW EXPO CENTER,

ENUMCLAW, WA 

SATURDAY, JULY 28 – SUNDAY, JULY 29 
Come Hear the Bagpipes – Watch the Dancers – Visit a Clan Booth
Help SGS Promote Genealogy

 

We need volunteers to help at the SGS booth during the Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games. We have been at this event for over 30 years and it is a great way to let the public know about SGS and to promote membership, seminars, and our classes. Our participation also gives us valuable community outreach credit for our grant applications with 4culture, which has given us thousands of dollars for our equipment and projects.
Game attendance is at about 30,000 for the weekend. Many of the people who attend are newly interested in their Scottish and Irish heritage and have done only limited research. They are primarily interested in knowing two things:

• What clan do I belong to?
• What tartan can I use?

SGS will have reference books available at the booth to help you answer those questions for them. There will also be a handout promoting SGS.
Information will be mailed out to volunteers about a week before the games. This year our booth is being sponsored by the Irish Heritage Club. We need at least two volunteers for each 2 hour shift and three people during the busiest afternoon sessions. We will supply each volunteer with an admission ticket for the games – a full day at the games for your own enjoyment. Parking will be at your own expense at $7.00. We encourage carpooling.
Jean needs to order tickets for the volunteers before July 1st,  so please respond to her by June 29th if you intend to volunteer.  Also let her know if you are over 62, as senior tickets are discounted. Her contact info is : Jean A. Roth (206) 782-2629 or jeanaroth@juno.com

 

SUMMER BREAK FOR THE SIGs
The Canadian SIG with David Robert  and the Family Tree Interest Group with Lou Daly will be taking a summer break. They will not meet in July, August, or September. They will resume meeting, same time, same place, in October.

The Family Tree Maker SIG with Reiley Kidd and Jess Ramey will not meet in July or August, nor will the Scandinavian SIG with Karin Knudson.

 

SAVE THE DATE

​​2018 Northwest Genealogy Conference,
Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society,
Byrnes Performing Arts Center,
18821 Crown Ridge Blvd,
Arlington, WA
August 15 – 18, 2018  

Keynote speakers will be Beth Foulk, CeCe Moore, Peggy Lauritzen, and Amie Bowser Tennant.

Days 2-4 will be packed full of lectures and activities, such as post a surname on the “Cousin Board”; have fun connecting with other attendees you may be related to. On Friday, participate in the optional  “Dress As Your Ancestor”  day to honor your heritage.

As usual, the first day of this four day conference is designed for beginners and is free (registration required).   .

For more details and to register, visit their website:
https://stillygen.org/cpage.php?pt=50
Unlock the Past in Seattle, the “land conference”
Seattle Public Library,
1000 4th Ave, Seattle, WA
Thursday, September 6, 2018

Have you heard of Unlock the Past Cruises, genealogy on the high seas? Their 14th conference cruise will be to Alaska, Sept 7-14, and sail out of Seattle. They have put together an all day, companion “land conference” for September 6. It will be held at the downtown Seattle Public Library and it is open to all  – whether on the cruise, or not. Blaine Bettinger, Maurice Gleeson, Cyndi Ingle, and Wayne Shepheard will be the presenters.

If you are interested, see their website :
https://www.unlockthepastcruises.com/

“A Day of Discovery with Lisa Louise Cooke”,
Puget Sound Genealogical Society,
4131 Pine Rd NE (at the Bremerton Elks),
Bremerton, WA
Saturday, September 22, 2018
8:30am – 3:30pm

Cost is $50 for PSGS members / $55 for non-members. Lunch is included and will catered by the Bremerton Elks. For  more information and the registration form see www.pusogensoc.org/psgs/seminar2018

​”Harvest Your Family Tree”,
The Kelowna & District Genealogical Society Conference 2018,
Kelowna, BC

Friday, September 28 – Sunday, September 30

 

There will be plenty to see and learn at one of Western Canada’s largest genealogy conferences – eleven speakers on 31 topics. Featuring Louis Kessler, programmer,
genealogist, member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG) will be speaking about Double Match Triangulation, the program he developed for autosomal DNA analysis. His program won third place at the 2017 RootsTech Innovator Showdown.

For more on this conference, visit their website :

https://kdgswix.wixsite.com/kdgs

 

 

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.

The SGS Library will be closed June 17, July 3, and July 4

JUNE

Saturday, June 16, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean A Roth
Saturday, June 16, 01:00pm – 3:00pm, German SIG, with Jean A Roth

Sunday, June 17, closed for Father’s Day

Saturday, June 23, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm,  SGS General Membership Meeting, speaker TBD
Saturday, June 30, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm,  DNA SIG,  this group meets at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE, Seattle. Co-chaired by Cary Bright and Herb McDaniel. For more information contact SGSDNASIG@gmail

JULY

Sunday, July 1, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, Led by Cary Bright with first hour on a specific topic, and the second hour open for sharing DNA issues with focus on GenomeMate Pro.

Saturday, July 21, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean A Roth
Saturday, July 21, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, German SIG, with Jean A Roth