Author Archives: Roxanne Lowe

Karen Mitchell Named President’s Award Recipient

by Roxanne Lowe

WSGS President Kathleen Sizer is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Achievement Award: Karen Mitchell from the Clallam County Genealogical Society. The announcement was made at the WSGS Annual Meeting on 31 Aug 2023.

Created in 2015, the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement is designed to single out that rare individual, society or organization who has demonstrated exemplary service above and beyond expectations. The award is not given every year as it is based on merit and accomplishments. As you’ll see from reading about Karen’s dedication, she is worthy of this recognition.

Karen Mitchell

A founding member of the Clallam County Genealogical Society (CCGS), Karen has consistently displayed the values of the society through her commitment, determination and leadership.

During her 42-year history with the society, she has succeeded in developing the CCGS Research Center into one of the largest private genealogical libraries on the West Coast. The center is home to over 5,000 cataloged items which can be accessed using LibraryThing. The Research Center is a place to view maps, land plats, photographs, do research and check out materials. Visitors can also view vintage photographs and maps mounted on walls and atlases and periodicals.

Karen was instrumental is obtaining a rare bookcase that now houses books written before 1910 and have never been reprinted. She has created a lending room where members can check out items of interest.

As CCGS’s librarian, Karen was at the forefront of their successful move into a larger facility in 2020. She supervised the packing of over 3,000 items from the previous facility, removal of bookshelves, shipment to the new facility, reinstallation of shelving, books, maps, files, and all the material that make up the expanded library.

Karen has served as president twice and is currently seated on the board of directors as Past President. She obtained certification as a school librarian, worked as a librarian for 30 years, and brought her experience and commitment to record preservation and skill to CCGS.

Karen continues to volunteer at the Research Center along with her husband, Tom. She is often the go-to person on CCGS operating rules and bylaws regarding governance matters.

Because of her lifelong learning (she first worked in a library at age 14), her organizational talents, her patience and persistence have made CCGS’s facility a first-class resource center.

More about the award

If you want to know more about the qualities needed for this prestigious award, click here. Previous recipients are listed here.

RootsTech 2024 Registration Open Now

by Roxanne Lowe

Registration to RootsTech 2024 is open! rootstech.org The major event will be held February 29 – March 2, 2024, both in-person in Salt Lake City, Utah and virtually.  The first 1,000 registrants will receive a special limited-edition pin! 

RootsTech is the premier event to celebrate your heritage and other meaningful connections through a deeper understanding of family history and genealogy. Discover your story at RootsTech 2024!  For more information, visit the Rootstech website.

RootsTech 2024 Registration Opens Next Week

by Roxanne Lowe

RootsTech 2024 will be held February 29 – March 2, 2024, both in-person in Salt Lake City Utah and virtually.  Registration opens September 18 at rootstech.org. The first 1,000 registrants will receive a special limited-edition pin! 

RootsTech is the premier event to celebrate your heritage and other meaningful connections through a deeper understanding of family history and genealogy. Discover your story at RootsTech 2024!  For more information, visit the Rootstech website.

2023 Outstanding Volunteers and Teams Named

by Roxanne Lowe

Congratulations to all the amazing individuals and teams who contributed to their local societies!  In the coming months, we’ll highlight the accomplishments of these awardees. Volunteers like these make our societies the best they can be.

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society

  • Joleen Aitchison
  • Lori Gibson

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society

  • Lynn Krogh
  • Janice Moerschel

Eastside Genealogical Society

  • Glen McNay
  • Beth Snyder

Grays Harbor Genealogical Society

  • Jo Linker

Jefferson County Genealogical Society

  • Board of Directors (Barb Peterson, Kathie Wilkinson, Dora Whittaker, Lesa Barnes, Pam Stinson, Mary Stolaas, Ann McCreery)
  • Computer Advisory Committee (Cathy Beatty, Pam Stinson)

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society

  • Katherine Gibson Pettersen

Mason County Genealogical Society

  • Jan WellsMinzel

Olympia Genealogical Society

  • Bob Monn
  • Kerry McHugh Upton

Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists

  • Carol B. Jenner
  • Jill Morelli

Seattle Genealogical Society

  • Deb Klein
  • Lisa Oberg

Skagit Valley Genealogical Society

  • Hybrid Meeting Research Team (Bill Radock, Bob Hendricks, George Ridgeway, Stephen Hutchens, Linda Duffield, Alice Bowden, Rene Vance, Margie Wilson, Rachel Lunden)

South King County Genealogical Society

  • Winona Hahn Laird

Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society

  • Diana Keehn
  • Sue McNeil

Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society

  • Mardi Scott

Whitman County Genealogical Society

  • Monica and Don Peters

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

  • Russell Kruse
  • Linda Swank Lantis
  • Kathleen Weddle Sizer

WSGS Annual Meeting — Thursday, Aug. 31

by Roxanne Lowe

Don’t forget that you’re invited to the WSGS’s annual meeting! Thursday, August 31, 2023, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85164040192?pwd=ejZhaG9yaGE4MzZ3bDNnaTA1ZmVZUT09

Meeting ID: 851 6404 0192
Passcode: 816294

Via phone: (253)205-0468,,85164040192#,,,,*816294# US

The agenda will include the announcement of the 2023 Outstanding Volunteer and Team recipients, as well as the recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. We’ll also talk a little about the WSGS, Pioneer Pursuit and how to get involved.

We hope you join us! If you want more information, email Info@wasgs.org. 

Applications for Historic Cemetery Capital Grant Program Open Sept. 1

by Roxanne Lowe

The State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation has $500,000 to support the Historic Cemetery Grant Program.

Historic cemeteries benefit the public by preserving outstanding examples of the state’s historical heritage, enabling historic cemeteries to continue to serve their communities, and honoring the military veterans buried within them. As such, this program will award grants up to $50,000 to support historic cemeteries with construction, renovation, or rehabilitation projects that preserve the historic character, features, and materials of the cemetery, or that maintain or improve the functions of the cemetery.

The Historic Cemetery Grant Program is supported by funding from the Washington State Legislature. The grant program is housed within the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP) and managed under contract by the Washington Trust.

A few key dates to keep in mind:

Applications open on September 1, 2023
Applications close on October 31, 2023
All applicants will be notified in December 2023
Grant contracts will be drafted in January 2024
Grant-supported projects must be completed by June 30, 2025

To participate in this program, cemeteries must:
Contain five (5) or more burials
Have at least one burial over 50 years old
Be located within Washington State

For more information about this grant opportunity, interested applicants can visit the website here: preservewa.org/cemeterygrants/.

For guidance on the application process, interested applicants can view this Application Walkthrough video: https://youtu.be/t16DMDNrNbg.

Reminder: WSGS Annual Meeting – August 31, 2023

by Roxanne Lowe

Don’t forget that you’re invited to the WSGS’s annual meeting! Thursday, August 31, 2023, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85164040192?pwd=ejZhaG9yaGE4MzZ3bDNnaTA1ZmVZUT09

Meeting ID: 851 6404 0192
Passcode: 816294

Via phone: (253)205-0468,,85164040192#,,,,*816294# US

The agenda will include the announcement of the 2023 Outstanding Volunteer and Team recipients, as well as the recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. We’ll also talk a little about the WSGS, Pioneer Pursuit and how to get involved.

We hope you join us! If you want more information, email Info@wasgs.org. 

You’re Invited to WSGS’s Annual Meeting

by Roxanne Lowe

You’re invited to the WSGS’s annual meeting! Thursday, August 31, 2023, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

In compliance with Washington’s Nonprofit Corporation Act (24.03A), we’re holding our annual meeting. Here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85164040192?pwd=ejZhaG9yaGE4MzZ3bDNnaTA1ZmVZUT09

Meeting ID: 851 6404 0192
Passcode: 816294

Via phone: (253)205-0468,,85164040192#,,,,*816294# US

One of our most exciting agenda items will be the announcement of the 2023 Outstanding Volunteer and Team recipients! We’ll also talk a little about the WSGS, our programs and services and how to get involved.

We hope you join us! If you want more information, email Info@wasgs.org. 

Earn a Reward for Pursuing a Pioneer

by Roxanne Lowe

More than 1,500 Washington Pioneers have been documented in our Pioneer Pursuit Contest. Thank you to all who have submitted genealogies, but we’re looking for more! It is estimated there were nearly 350,000 people living here in 1889, and thousands more who came and went before 1889.

As an incentive for submitting (and having approved) a genealogy of a Pioneer and his/her descendants, you will earn a prize. Yes, everyone earns a prize:

  • Top three local societies with the most submissions (based on the number of members in the society): $300, $200 and $100.
  • Each society that participates will receive $20.
  • Top three individuals submitting the most submissions: $150, $100 and $50.
  • Each individual who participates will receive a year’s membership in WSGS.

Remember, you don’t have to be related to a Pioneer — just pick someone. Here is a list of places to start.

We want to document every man, woman and child living in Washington Territory on or before Nov. 11, 1889. YOU can help us do that! For more information, visit the Pioneer Pursuit web page or email us at Info@wasgs.org.

Pioneer Pursuit Progress

by Roxanne Lowe

Many of you have embraced the Pioneer Pursuit contest with enthusiasm and vigor. We’re very excited about all the submissions (more than 1,500 so far!). It’s hard to know exactly how many people lived In Washington Territory, but there are estimates that about 350,000 individuals were here in 1889, so we have a ways to go.

We acknowledge we’re a little behind on posting the submissions in the index, but we’re working hard to get caught up. Thanks for your patience.

Even though we’re still posting your submissions, don’t let that slow you down. We’re still looking to document every man, woman and child who lived in Washington Territory on or before 11 Nov 1889. And don’t forget there are prizes for every individual and genealogical society that submits a Pioneer.

The submission form, instructions, examples, frequently asked questions and research hints are all available here. If you have other questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at Info@wasgs.org. We’re here to help!