Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Fall Mini Seminar
Category Archives: 2025 Seminars & Conferences
GFO From the Indian Wars to Taxes Military and Other Federal Records
Join us for this all-day, online event!
Federal records are invaluable tools for genealogists because they often preserve detailed, first-person data that may not appear in local or family-held sources. These records — ranging from pension applications and service records to land bounty files and employment records can reveal not only dates and locations but also personal experiences, physical descriptions, family relationships, and even financial or medical hardships. They provide context to an ancestor’s life by situating them within national events such as wars, migrations, or public service, often uncovering stories of resilience, sacrifice, or opportunity that enrich the broader family narrative. Our speaker will focus on several historical periods that affect a wide range of the U.S. population.
The seminar will take place via Zoom.
Saturday, November 8
9:00 am – 10:15 am – Fighting on the Frontier: Researching the Indian Wars
10:30 am – 11:30 am – That Splendid Little War: Researching the Spanish-American War
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Enemy Aliens: Registering Our Immigrant Forebears
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Federal Taxes and the Genealogical Records They Created
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm – Closing, including door prizes and final words
Pricing: $70 (members $55)
Registration: gfo.org/seminar
Meet Our Speaker:
Our speaker, Michael L. Strauss, AG®, is an Accredited Genealogist and forensic investigator. He holds a BA in History and is a United States Coast Guard veteran. He is a licensed Private Investigator and qualified expert witness in Surrogate Court and Circuit Court in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.
He is best known in the genealogical community as an expert on military and federal records, and is a national genealogical lecturer and instructor for military courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR).
Mr. Strauss has worked on identifying MIA remains from WWII and the Korean and Vietnam wars, and was the film historian for the 2015 Academy Award nominated movie “Finding Vivian Maier”.
Eastern Washington Genealogical Society October Civil War Seminar
EWGS Fall Seminar: Civil War Research
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!
There are many attendees already registered, so don’t miss out! Go to the website to register now!
$40 – MEMBERS (attending in person) $50 – NON-MEMBERS (attending in person) $20 – ZOOMERS
Date: October 04, 2025
Time: 09:00 AM to 03:00 PM (Doors open at 8:30)
Location: Southside Community Center – 3151 E 27th Ave, Spokane, WA 99223
Hybrid-Zoom available for this event
From Muster Rolls to Family Roles:
Discovering Civil War Histories Researching Your Civil War Ancestor – by Craig R. Scott
Oh Yes, I Went to the Front!: Women in the Civil War – by Melanie McComb
Refugees, Claims, and Pardons:
Reconciliation during the Reconstruction Era – by Michael L. Strauss
Handouts will be emailed to registered attendees 2-3 days PRIOR to the event. (please print your handouts at home)
In-Person Attendance includes: lunch, snacks, dessert, coffee, tea, and possibly door prizes!
Deadline for mailing checks is SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 BY 5:00 P.M.
NOTE: IF YOU WISH TO REGISTER VIA WRITTEN CHECK: Write your check for the correct amount (see above),
MAIL TO: EWGS 9116 E SPRAGUE AVE., #438 SPOKANE VALLEY, WA 99206
Cancellation for this event AND TO RECEIVE A FULL REFUND deadline is SEPTEMBER 26TH BY 5:00 P.M.
Exciting new vendors
Book sale of donated Civil War books and many others!
Free Table
If you feel that you cannot afford the tuition fee for this seminar, please apply for a scholarship.
Sign in to EWGS as a member. Click on Events and Choose Scholarship Grant Forms.
Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies Virtual Conference
On behalf of the Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies (FEEFHS), I’m reaching out to share information about our upcoming virtual conference, taking place August 6–8, 2025. We hope this may be of interest to your members, and we’d be grateful if you’d consider sharing it in your social media or newsletter channels.
We’re currently offering an early bird registration discount for anyone who registers before July 6th. I’ve attached an image below with more information that you’re welcome to use.
If you or your members have any questions about the conference, please feel free to reach out. And if your society has any upcoming events or announcements that might be relevant to our audience, we’d love to feature you in our social media or newsletter as well.
Thank you for your continued work in the field of genealogy!
Warm regards,
Emma Ruddy
FEEFHS Board Member
CONTACT: ruddy.genealogist@gmail.com
National Genealogical Society Healthy Aging and the Role of the Family History Community
 Join NGS, Vivid-Pix, and FamilySearch for a Spcial Symposium on Healthy Aging Honoring Mental Health Awareness Month and the Future of Healthy Aging Dear Friend, In recognition of Mental Health Month, the National Genealogical Society, Vivid-Pix, and FamilySearch invite you to attend the Symposium on Healthy Aging and the Role of the Family History Community, on 22 May 22, 2025 from 1:00 PM–5:00 PM ET with online access via Zoom.* The symposium tackles increasing challenges facing Americans as they age: social isolation, dementia, and mental health. Register Now “Family history activities are a pathway to good mental health and combat social isolation. The research, analysis, and writings associated with family history stimulate brain activity; storytelling, photos, and mementos bring back happy memories and intergenerational connection,” said Dr. Charlotte Yeh, Founder, Yeh Innovation, Past Chief Medical Officer, AARP. “We’ve witnessed firsthand how photo reminiscence therapy (pRT) can reduce social isolation, improve medication compliance, and enhance connection and cognitive performance with older adults. That’s why we’re dedicated to expanding its availability and making this therapy affordable to all who need it, as well as supporting others’ work to help our community,” said Rick Voight, CEO, Vivid-Pix. Important topics include: Understanding the health and cognitive issues facing an aging American population. How aging, isolation, and loneliness affect cognition – and how to assist those impacted. How the family history community can help our communities and the aging population. Activities that individuals and organizations, such as genealogy societies, libraries, archives, and museums (SLAMs), are conducting to support healthy aging. Panelists include leaders in aging health, genealogy, and technology: Charity Rouse, NGS Delegate Council secretary and Spartanburg County Public Libraries Crista Cowan, Ancestry Curt Witcher, Director, Special Collections & Manager, Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library David Rencher, NGS president and Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch Debbie Gurtler, Assistant Director, FamilySearch Library Dr. Charlotte Yeh, Founder, Yeh Innovation & past Chief Medical Officer, AARP Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, International African American Museum (IAAM) Ed Donakey, NGS board member and Deputy Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch Ellen Goodwin, Co-Founder, Artifcts Jake Rankin, Owner, Talem Home Care, Certified Senior Advisor John Dougan, NGS board member and Missouri State Archivist Matt Menashes, NGS executive director Matt Weismantel, NGS Delegate Council chair Rick Voight, CEO, Vivid-Pix Sheri Rose, CEO, Thrive Center Theda Heiserman, Director of Training & Education, CERTUS Institute Uniquely suited to support activities that promote healthy aging and the family NGS, FamilySearch, and genealogy societies, libraries, archives, museums and companies help thousands of people daily with family history research. “The family history community . . . helps people learn about their past through research, writing, and storytelling. These activities improve mental health and build strong relationships,” said David Rencher, NGS president and Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch. “We think our community is well-positioned to improve long-term outcomes for an aging population.” “We’ve found that when helping people trace their roots, it can be transformative for a person’s mental health and perspective,” said Dr. Shelley Murphy of the Center for Family History at International African American Museum. “The people who come to programs at the museum come away with new energy, stronger connections to their past, and a newfound passion for family history research.”Plan to join us online. Registration is free. Register Now * An authenticated (paid or free) Zoom account is required to register. Copyright © 2025 National Genealogical Society (NGS), all rights reserved. National Genealogical Society · PO Box 128 · Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0128 · USA |
International German Genealogy Partnership Celebrate Your German Speaking Ancestors
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 Hello IGGP partners and friends, Time to register for the 2025 German genealogy conference is running out. Registration is closing May 28!The conference will be held June 12-15 at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus, Ohio. The event is in-person only for attendees.You can register online and pay by credit card. (The mail-in option has closed.)If you want to have recordings of the weekend presentations, including three bonus sessions not being given live, you can purchase access as an add-on when you pay for a registration — even if you are not able to attend in person.Our speakers and topics are all available for review. As is the weekend schedule. And don’t forget to plan for the social activities on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.Our conference app, Whova, is already live and attendees are “meeting” each other and sharing information even before suitcases are packed. You can join the fun by registering today.Questions may be sent to info@iggp.org. For questions specific to registration, email iggp.registrator@gmail.com.We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks! |
 Copyright © 2025 International German Genealogy Partnership, All rights reserved.You subscribed to receive news about IGGP and its activities. Use the links below to change your subscription preferences or unsubscribe. Our mailing address is: International German Genealogy Partnership1385 Mendota Heights Road, Suite 100c/o Minnesota Genealogy Center Mendota Heights, MN55120-1367Add us to your address book |
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Landing the Ancestors
National Genealogical Society Conference Deadlines
| NGS Conference Deadlines and OrgConnects! Video to Share with Your Organization |
| Dear Organization Members, Administrators, and Delegates, The National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2025 Family History Conference is less than a month away. I’m excited to see you or others from your organization in Louisville, Kentucky, or online through the new virtual access option. A few conference-related deadlines are coming up that your organization will want to share with anyone planning to attend in person: This Friday, 2 May, is the last day for NGS member organizations to request the conference registration discount benefit for people who are not individual members of NGS. Please read through the information and use the form linked on the Organization Registration page. Friday, 2 May, is also the hotel deadline to make reservations in the discounted room block with NGS at the Galt House. Visit the Hotel Information page to get the code and booking link. Monday, 12 May, is the final day to RSVP for the 23 May Delegate Council meeting. Organization member delegates are invited to RSVP for a light breakfast and meeting. If the delegate can’t attend and someone else from your organization can be there as a substitute, please have them RSVP instead. For those coming to Louisville, join us for FOCUS 2025: A Pathway to the Future for Genealogy and Family History Organizations, a special pre-conference event with the Filson Historical Society on 23 May, and the SLAM! Idea Showcase Dinner on 25 May. Also, I would love to meet in person and discuss any needs or feedback from your organization. Email me to set up a time to chat. |
| OrgConnects! Video on Taxes and Finances |
| The recording of the 10 April 2025 OrgConnects! event on Finance and Taxes for Organizations: Challenges and Solutions is available on YouTube. NGS Treasurer Doug Klein, CPA, provided an overview of tax exemption, sales tax issues, budgets, financial statements, avoiding scams, finding help, and more. Check out the OrgConnects! playlist for previous videos and share these event recordings with your organization. |
| Time to Meet or Ask Questions |
Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions about the conference and organization events, and please email me to set up a time to meet if you will be in Louisville (and if you won’t be at the conference, you can always meet with me via Zoom). Thank You,  Kate SmithOrganizations and Communities Manager |
| Copyright © 2025 National Genealogical Society (NGS), all rights reserved. National Genealogical Society · PO Box 128 · Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0128 · USA |
Whitman County Genealogical Society Privatizing America: Homesteading in the USA
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Spring Mini-Seminar
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
1901 S0. 12th Ave
Union Gap, WA 98903
(509) 248 – 1328
Spring Mini-Seminar will be held
In the Y.V.G.S. Library.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
9:30 am till 12:00 Noon
$5.00 at the door.
You will not want to miss this presentation.
Richard Kyle is giving a presentation
On “Researching Death Documents”
Please sign up before Friday, March 28.
So the correct count of handouts can
be made plus purchasing of snacks can
be bought before Saturday. Please Call the
Library Between 10:00am and 4:00pm
Thursday to let us know you are coming.
Snacks, Coffee and Bottled
Water will be provided.