The nomination period for the WSGS Vice President and Treasurer positions is open through December 5, 2022. Elections will be conducted online in mid-December. The successful candidates will serve from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2024.
Both positions serve on the WSGS Board of Directors. The Vice President assists the President and steps in for the President in their absence. The Treasurer maintains and reports all financial dealings. More information is available in the WSGS Bylaws.
The successful candidates must be members of WSGS.
A strong organization is only as strong as its leaders. We encourage you to consider volunteering your time and talent to steer WSGS into a value-added organization. To nominate yourself or someone else or if you want more information, contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Nominations” in the subject line.
We want to showcase your scenic photos on the Blog
Photo contributed by Donna Potter Phillips, Spokane, WA
Have you noticed the Blog banner changes every time you visit? The photos are submitted by readers like you — and Donna Potter Phillips of Spokane (& weekly contributor to the Blog). We’re always looking for scenic photos of our beautiful state for the rotating photo gallery on the blog banner.
Guidelines for the photos are few: •Landscapes, landmarks, and scenery photos are preferred. If, however, you have a perfect photo that includes people, please obtain their permission to post the photo. •Photo must have been taken in Washington State (this is the Washington State Genealogical Society blog, after all!). •Photo will be cropped to 1100 x 250 pixels, so keep that in mind. If in doubt, send it to us & we’ll figure it out. •You may submit as many photos as you want. •Final decisions on suitable photos will be made by the awesome WSGS Blog Team. •There’s no prize if your photo is chosen – just the satisfaction that your photo is being showcased on a blog viewed by hundreds of enthusiastic genealogists. •There’s no firm deadline to submit photos, just keep ‘em coming. We want to rotate lots of photos to keep the blog fresh.
To submit your photo, please email the image (jpg only, please); what, where, when, and by whom the photo was taken to WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.
Got questions? Email the blog team at WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.Posted in WSGS Programs
If your ancestor was one of the 350,000 people who lived in the Washington Territory when 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.
Join members of the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society (GHGS) for one-on-one consultations on Saturday, Nov. 12, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Hoquiam and Montesano libraries. This special event is co-sponsored with GHGS and the Hoquiam and Montesano Timberland Libraries. No appointment needed.
The Washington State Genealogical Society is excited to announce a year-long contest to document the family histories of every man, woman and child living in Washington Territory on or before it became a state on November 11, 1889.
Beginning today, genealogical societies and individual genealogists can start researching and documenting Pioneers and two subsequent generations for inclusion in the Pioneer Pursuit Collection. We intend to make the histories accessible online at the end of the contest, October 31, 2023.
It is estimated there were nearly 350,000 people living here in 1889. Together, we can uncover the family histories of those Pioneers — and win a cash prize. For more information about this important undertaking, including forms, examples and resources, please visit the Pioneer Pursuit web page.
WSGS is just about ready to announce a new project — where you can win a cash prize! We’ve been working behind the scenes for more than a year on a project that will be fun, challenging and rewarding! Watch for the big announcement coming soon. Maybe even next week!!
David Franklin, Tacoma’s only Black naval Civil War veteran, was honored recently with the recognition he earned and deserved — a marble headstone and ceremony honoring his service at the Oakwood Hill Cemetery in Tacoma. Read about the tenacious historian who made that happen. https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article266440441.html
If you have a genealogy- or local history-related story that you’d like to share with almost 1,000 readers, send it to WSGSBlog@wasgs.org. We love to share local stories.
Do you know who’s running the show at the Washington State Genealogical Society? Did you know we have an Executive Committee and four standing committee chairs? Who are these people? In the coming months, we’ll introduce them to you.
In today’s “Meet the Board” series, we’re introducing you to Valorie Cowan Zimmerman, WSGS’s Vice President. Valorie lives in Kent with her husband Bob. Her family calls her Val, but as an adult, she uses Valorie. She is very active in the South King County Genealogical Society, serving as President.
Valorie was born in 1953 in the Renton Hospital, which is now McLendon’s Hardware, the daughter of Ted and Lola (McBee) Cowan. Valorie’s father was born and raised in Seattle, while Mom was born at home in Indianola, Iowa, but grew up in Alberta Canada until age 15. She then moved to Seattle to attend high school and work.
Valorie’s professional career was varied: house cleaner, mother and in the securities and insurance business. She is proud to be a lifelong learner and now is a full-time volunteer for her genealogical societies.
Valorie’s maternal grandparents Harvey McBee and Anna Baysinger on their wedding day in 1914.
Valorie’s interest in genealogy was sparked in her teen years by her curiosity about her grandparents’ lives. The world they were born into was so different than anything Valorie had experienced. She is particularly interested in her grandmother’s Swedish ancestry. While she hasn’t been to Sweden (yet!), she connected with Swedish researcher/cousins who have helped her get back to the 1600s on some of her ancestral lines. Valorie says “Finding living cousins is the best!” Lucky her!
On Valorie’s stateside bucket list to visit is a trip to Warren County, Iowa where her mother was born and generations of Baysingers and Disneys lived. She’d also like to visit Grainger County, Tennessee where her McBee’s lived before moving on to Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.
Valorie and Bob, 1972
Valorie and her husband Bob, a retired Boeing production engineer, have three children and a bonus: Thomas who now lives in Denver, Colorado at a computer company; Paul who lives in Seattle with his wife Tara and son Oscar; and Anne who also lives in Seattle with her husband Jason and their kitties. Valorie and Bob’s bonus child has been raised by them since their mother Carol, Valorie’s first cousin, died. They and husband Rory live for the time being in Seattle.
A few more interesting tidbits about Valorie: • Favorite genealogy websites: FamilySearch, Ancestry and WikiTree • Favorite color: Flower colors • Favorite dessert: Dark chocolate • When she’s not doing genealogy, Valorie likes to enjoy art, read novels and history books and chat with people • When asked to describe herself in one word, Valorie replied, “curious.” (Her husband, however, might say “stubborn”!) Aren’t both of those words perfect to describe a genealogist?
Now you know a little more about another of the WSGS Board members. The next time you see Valorie say hello and thank her for her service to WSGS.
Have you noticed the Blog banner changes every time you visit? The photos are submitted by readers like you — and Donna Potter Phillips of Spokane (& weekly contributor to the Blog). We’re always looking for scenic photos of our beautiful state for the rotating photo gallery on the blog banner.
Guidelines for the photos are few: •Landscapes, landmarks, and scenery photos are preferred. If, however, you have a perfect photo that includes people, please obtain their permission to post the photo. •Photo must have been taken in Washington State (this is the Washington State Genealogical Society blog, after all!). •Photo will be cropped to 1100 x 250 pixels, so keep that in mind. If in doubt, send it to us & we’ll figure it out. •You may submit as many photos as you want. •Final decisions on suitable photos will be made by the awesome WSGS Blog Team. •There’s no prize if your photo is chosen – just the satisfaction that your photo is being showcased on a blog viewed by hundreds of enthusiastic genealogists. •There’s no firm deadline to submit photos, just keep ‘em coming. We want to rotate lots of photos to keep the blog fresh.
To submit your photo, please email the image (jpg only, please); what, where, when, and by whom the photo was taken to WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.
Got questions? Email the blog team at WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.
Congratulations to all the amazing individuals and team who contributed mightily to their local societies! After a three-year hiatus to WSGS’s Outstanding Volunteer Recognition Program and a global pandemic, it’s time to honor those who kept our local societies together and moving forward.
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society
Andrea Hoskins
Larry Noedel
Clallam County Genealogical Society
Genealogy Center Art Committee (Carol Foss, Roberta Griset, Linda Hindes, Consuelo White)
Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
Audio/Visual Team (Julie Rosenoff, David Luders, Harold Young, John Wilson, Duane Beck)
EWGS Zoom Meetings Team (John Wilson, Carol Anderson)
Jennilyn Weight
Eastside Genealogical Society
Celia McNay
Dorothy Pretare
Janet Stroebel
Grays Harbor Genealogical Society
Lee Thomasson
Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island
Stephanie Rodden
Jefferson County Genealogical Society
Ann McCreery
Lower Columbia Genealogical Society
Teresa “Terry” Mattison
Mason County Genealogical Society
Cemetery and Obituary Project (Susie Graham, Elizebeth Lawson, Albert Conklin, Roger Newman, Barbara Moore, Stan Graham, Sue Sheldon)
Carolyn Gibbons
Pat Tostevin (postumous)
Northeast Washington Genealogical Society
Evergreen Cemetery Team (Jayne Evans, Lora Rose, Jim Witham)
Barbara McGill
Jim Witham
Olympia Genealogical Society
Eileen Dodge
Norman Dodge
Kathy Erlandson
Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists
Bylaws Revision Committee (Nancy Neville Cordell, Karin Coppernoll)
Seattle Genealogical Society
Cary Lynn Bright
Library Relocation and Refocus (Kathi McGinnes, Rob Sexton)
Christine Schomaker
Skagit Valley Genealogical Society
Karen Strelow
South King County Genealogical Society
Going Virtual Team (MaryLynn Strickland, Valorie Zimmerman)
Tina Lawson
Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society
Ruth Caesar
Elizabeth Dalton
Historic Newspapers Digitization Team (Sue Walde, Michele Heiderer, Suzanne Brown, Karen Looney, Sue McNeill, Ruth Caesar)
Lynn Clarke Kennedy
LeeRoy Kind
SVGS Zoom Team (Karen Looney, Susanne Brown, Dana Carney, Flynn Kennedy, Pam Shoberg)
Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
Diane Gundersen
Hank LuBean
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
Richard Adams
Cynthia “Cindy” L. Fuerst
Florance Irene McDonald Nelson
YVGS Team Website (Judy Jones Schuster, Richard Kyle)
Congratulations to all!!
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