WSGS members are encouraged to cast their ballot for Vice President and Treasurer by 11:59 p.m., 15 Dec 2024. An email with a Google Forms link was sent on 08 Dec. to your email of record. If you did not receive the email, please email Info@wasgs.org.
Even though LeAnne Koliha and Frank McLean are running unopposed (Vice President and Treasurer respectively), we view your vote as a vote of support for WSGS. There is also an opportunity in the ballot to make suggestions or ideas to support the society. We are reading every comment.
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.
Sometimes we need a deadline and target to get us going. That’s why we did a Pioneer Pursuit Push to have 5,000 people documented in our Index by November 11 — the 135th anniversary of Washington Territory becoming the 42nd state.
Alas, we didn’t make our target. We have 4,044 names listed in the Index, 956 short of our target. BUT, that doesn’t mean we’re giving up. You can still submit genealogies for any man, woman or child who lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889. You don’t have to be related to a pioneer — find a name and do what we do best: research it!
We’ve made it easy for you. There are examples, forms, hints and FAQs on the WSGS website. There’s also a video explaining the process and answering questions from the Pioneer Pursuit Roundtable in April 2023. If you have other questions, please email Info@wasgs.org and put “Pioneer Pursuit” in the subject line.
If your ancestor lived in the Washington Territory before it became the nation’s 42nd state on November 11, 1889, you may be eligible for a Washington Pioneer certificate. Or if your ancestors arrived a little later — before December 31, 1900 — you can get a First Citizen certificate. What a great gift for yourself and your family members!
We began the Washington State Centennial Pioneer Certificate Program in 1984 in anticipation of the state’s centennial admission to the union in 1889. The initial certificates were issued to applicants who could prove their ancestors were in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889. Those descendants’ names, almost 18,000, were printed in a two-volume set of books entitled “Washington Pioneers” in 1992. A third volume, published in 1993, included Pioneers and First Citizens (those in the state on or before December 31, 1900). The three original volumes are out of print, but an index is available here. WSGS members have access to family lineages in the Members’ Only section of the website.
Pioneer and First Citizen Certificates are still being issued, although they are published only on the WSGS website at this time. If you can prove your ancestor was in Washington prior to November 11, 1889, you may be eligible to purchase a Pioneer Certificate. If your ancestor was in Washington on or before December 31, 1900, you may be eligible for a First Citizen Certificate. More information, including resources to prove residency, is available in the Pioneer and First Citizen Program brochure. An application and instructions are available here.
We’re getting closer to our goal of 5,000 Washington State pioneers listed in our Pioneer Pursuit Index by November 11, 2024. Our reviewers just approved our 4,005th pioneer, so we need 995 more to meet our ambitious, but doable, target.
If you’re wondering whether you can participate, YES, YOU CAN! A few things to consider:
You don’t have to be related to a pioneer. Just pick someone in your county or neighborhood and start researching. Here’s a great list of places to start.
You don’t have to be a member of WSGS to participate.
We’ve made it easy to submit Pioneer Pursuit genealogies. There are examples, forms and an FAQ under the Pioneer Pursuit tab of the WSGS website.
Help us identify every man, woman and child who lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889 when we became the 42nd state. If you have questions, please email us at Info@wasgs.org.
Are you interested in being part of the WSGS Board of Directors? The positions of vice president and treasurer are up for election and we are seeking nominations. The nomination period will close on 15 Nov 2024.
The vice president position provides support to the president. In the case that the president is unable to preside over a meeting or event, the vice president would be required to step in and take his/her place. The vice president also acts as a liaison between the societies and the WSGS president and board, helping to facilitate communications between the board and the societies.
The treasurer manages WSGS financial matters under the direction of the president, executive committee and board of directors.
The two-year terms are from 01 Jan 2025 through 31 Dec 2026. More information on the positions’ duties and responsibilities is available here.
Being a member of the WSGS Board is an excellent opportunity to involve yourself in a statewide organization designed to support local societies and individuals interested in the educational and historical value of genealogical research. And besides that — it’s fun and interesting!
We need your help! We’re trying to have 5,000 Washington State pioneers listed in our Pioneer Pursuit Index by November 11, 2024. The index currently lists 3,854 pioneers, so we need 1,146 more to meet our ambitious, but doable, target.
Whether you’re a WSGS member or not, we’re hoping you’ll submit a three-generation genealogy (with sources) for any man, woman or child who lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889 when we became the 42nd state. You don’t have to be related to the pioneer — just pick someone in your county or neighborhood and start researching. Here’s a great list of places to start.
We’ve made it easy to submit Pioneer Pursuit genealogies. There are examples, forms and an FAQ in the Pioneer Pursuit tab of the WSGS website.
The McCleary Museum & Event Center invites you to their 2024 Genealogy Conference to be held on Saturday, October 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference will be in-person at the Museum at 426 S. Third Street, McCleary. Tickets are $12 or $10 for those who have an active membership in any genealogical society. Click here to register.
Topics and speakers include:
“Direct Link to the Past- City Directories for Genealogy” presented by Mary Kircher Roddy, CG; Writer; Lecturer; trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and co-founder of the Applied Genealogy Institute. City Directories are a tool for genealogists to fill in gaps between census years and learn more about ancestors. But if you’re just searching for a name, you’re missing out! In this presentation see many sources to find directories. Mary will show you what to look for in them, including understanding the “anatomy” of a directory and what might be in one. Learn some tips for getting the most out of them by using address searches, alternate spellings, advertisements and more to understand your ancestors’ world and their movements within it. Directories are also a source for historical images that might not be available elsewhere. See how to track your searches and results using spreadsheets. And learn how directories will lead you to clues for further follow-up research.
“Branching Out in the Evergreen State” presented by Roxanne Ferbrache Lowe, Past President, Grays Harbor Genealogical Society; Web Master, Washington State Genealogical Society. There are many resources for finding members of your family tree in the Evergreen State. Roxanne will share a few free resources for those with Washington State (and Washington Territory) roots. Even if you don’t have Washington ancestors, many of the resources may apply to you. She will also talk about the Washington State Genealogical Society’s Pioneer Pursuit program.
“Adventures of a Find A Grave Volunteer “ presented by Diane Carter, Registrar for the Robert Gray Chapter of DAR; Volunteer for Find A Grave; Member of Society of Mayflower Descendants and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Some people tiptoe through the tulips. Diane wanders through graveyards —mosquito lotion, sun blocker, umbrella, notepad and camera in hand —photographing headstones and creating on-line memorials. Whenever possible, she adds family links, genealogy, and personal photos to the memorials that she has created. She even creates imaginary cemeteries! “What madness is this?” you may ask. “Genealogists need facts, not made-up stuff.” And the answer is that even imaginary cemeteries can be helpful for a genealogist —or an organization. Find A Grave is a free resource and her efforts are viewable by anyone with Internet access and from any part of the world. Come tiptoe with Diane through Find A Grave.
“Memberships to Lineage Societies and How to Prepare Documentation” Also presented by Diane Carter. As Registrar for the Robert Gray Chapter of DAR which serves Grays Harbor County, Diane prepares applications for women wishing to join her chapter. She also serves with a state team that reviews applications. She has advised people seeking membership in other lineage societies. In all cases, She carefully scrutinizes the generations listed, the links between generations, the documentations supporting the links and the sources of the documents. The pieces have to fit and she can tell a few stories about the curious routes that have been taken to prove someone’s lineage.
Other opportunities of the day include networking, a museum tour, light refreshments, local genealogy resources and more. You may choose to bring your own lunch or pre-order one of the lunch specials before 9/29/24 from The Bears Den, options detailed on ticket purchase page.
In a one-time departure from the norm, the WSGS Board of Directors awarded Supportive Grants to six of the societies that applied for grants. In the past, only two grants have been awarded. This year, however, the Board agreed with the reviewers that all six society projects deserved funding. The average amount of each grant was $250. Diane Huckabay, WSGS Education Chair, announced the awards at the Annual Meeting on August 30, 2024.
The grants were awarded to:
Black Genealogy Research Group of Seattle – Two registrations to attend the Family Tree Magazine University Courses. The two attendees will share their knowledge at monthly BGRG meetings.
Clallam County Genealogical Society — Defray some of the costs of speakers for their “Speakers’ Series.”
Jefferson County Genealogical Society – Support publicity for the society’s 40th anniversary celebration. It will also support their speaker from Scotland (on Zoom).
Lower Columbia County Genealogical Society – Print and distribute brochures advertising/ promoting the society, so they can be placed around a variety of local establishments, mostly libraries.
Okanogan County Genealogical Society – Fund a web page that documents Okanogan County cemeteries and the individuals buried in those cemeteries.
Sno-Isle County Genealogical Society – Fund the purchase of audio and visual equipment to support hybrid online and in-person meetings.
For more information about the Supportive Grants, click here.
Congratulations to the amazing individuals and teams who contributed to Washington’s local societies. The announcement was made on Friday, August 30, at the WSGS Annual Meeting. Fifteen local society members and six teams (with 45 volunteers) were recognized with Outstanding Volunteer and Team awards. The volunteers and teams were praised for their commitment and energies to promote their local societies, family history and cooperation in their local communities.
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society
David Cosman
Susan Palmer
Clallam County Genealogical Society
Paul Wessel
Nomination Team (Jackie Jardine, Pricilla Hudson, Carol Colman)
Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
Kelly Martin
Donna Potter Phillips
Audio Visual Team (Dan Cotton, Julie Rosenhoff, Ron Marvin, John Wilson, Duane Beck)
Eastside Genealogical Society
Help Desk (Helen Carlson, Robert Barnes, Jane Wickert)
Grays Harbor Genealogical Society
Diane Huntley Carter
Jefferson County Genealogical Society
Research Center (Pam Wilson, Dave Sachi, Eileen Martin, Harlean Hamilton, Marge Samuelson, Mary Stolaas, Pam Stinson, Cathy Beatty-O’Shea, Kathie Wilkinson, Geri Eekhoff, Elaine Raymond, Ada Kornmeyer, Bobbee Davidson, Sue Atkin, Gene Nelson, Kathy Pool
Lower Columbia Genealogical Society
Connie Timperley Davis
Seattle Genealogical Society
James A. Secan
Skagit Valley Genealogical Society
Hawthorne Cemetery Readers (Sylvia Ammons, Dottie Chandler, Karen Strelow, Carol Nersten, Barbara Johnson, Rene Vance, Dan Royal, Margie Wilson, Bill Cayford, Patty Gowler, Judy Hakins, Margie Lauer, Linda Holland
Sno-Isle Genealogical Society
Jerald Rogers
South King County Genealogical Society
Publicity Team (Tina Lawson, Janet Stroebel, Brenda Phillips, Valorie Zimmerman, MaryLynn Strickland
Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society
Dan Caesar
Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
Hazel Leise Thornton
Lisa Atkins Vollrath
Whatcom Genealogical Society
Lynne Oliver
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
Brenda Goddard Arambul
Larry Ball
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