A grave blanket is a handmade or commercially made evergreen arrangement that covers the ground of the grave. They are made of evergreen boughs and can be decorated with ribbons, bows, flowers, pine cones or baby’s breath and are available in a variety of styles and sizes. Grave blankets are most often found in colder, northern regions of the country where traditional flower arrangements would not withstand the cold temperatures or snow. There are many reasons why grave blankets are placed on the graves of loved ones. The symbolic meaning is that the blanket will keep your deceased loved one warm for winter. Another reason is to honor and remember your beloved family member or friend.
** To Forget Is Vain Endeavor. Love’s Remembrance Lasts Forever.
Starting from the beginning—the alphabet—dive into how to decipher individual letters of the old German script. Learn how to use that knowledge to decipher key genealogical terms, based on context and expected record content, to start you on your own road to discovering the hidden treasures in your German-language records.
Presenter: Charlotte Noelle Champenois, AG®
Charlotte Noelle Champenois, AG®, originally from Allerød, Denmark, and a long-time resident of Utah, is accredited in Germany Northwest, Denmark, Sweden, and Austria and has a BA in genealogy from Brigham Young University. She is a German Research Specialist at the FamilySearch Library, where she helps guests with research and translation.
Mary will show you how to find distant relatives, perhaps ones you never knew existed. You will come away with the skills to target specific people and to find their contact details.
Great for finding missing friends and cousins or for locating family members to fill out your DNA “dance card” or plan a family reunion.
Mary Kircher Roddy, frequently lectures in Washington State as well as at conferences across the US on methodology and records. She is a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, one of the founders of the Applied Genealogy Institute, and is the co-editor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ). She also earned a certificate in Genealogy and Family History at the University of Washington. Mary became interested in genealogy in 2000 in anticipation of a sabbatical with her husband and children in Ireland. She was sure she would complete all her Irish genealogy in a year. Two decades later, that genealogy is still a work in progress.
So, please go to our website, bigenealogy.orgto pick up your Zoom link beginning on September 14th, the day before the presentation.
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.
Claire V. Brisson-Banks, BS, MLIS, AG®. CEO of Timeless Genealogies, an ancestral research company. Ancestral and forensics genealogist, family historian, educator, librarian, international and US lecturer. She specializes in England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, U.S., and Canada. The Quest for Your English Ancestors English civil and church records as well as census records make doing research back to 1837 feasible. Pre-1837 requires more skill and a greater knowledge of the large variety of little-known resources to conduct this research, which can bring you back to the 1600’s and beyond. Adding new internet resources makes this a great experience. When: September 21, 2023 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Where: Zoom Cost: Members $20 Non-Members $25 Deadline to Sign-up September 19, 2013 Sign-up and Payment
Call (253) 863-1806
OR
Go to our website at hqrl.com and click on the HQRL Store. Be sure to sign in as a member to receive the discount.
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)
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)
Be in the know! Receive notices for our virtual meetings, as well as the latest genealogy news and tips, by subscribing (free) to the online group at https://skcgs.groups.io
Skcgs.groups.io is the SKCGS online discussion and collaboration arena where:
we communicate and share information with each other
other than your email, you are not required to provide personal information
you can unsubscribe at any time
PROGRAM UPDATES
All meetings are online via Zoom except the in-person Research Group and Genealogy Help at the Auburn Library
Live transcription (captioning) is available during our Zoom meetings by request
Online meeting participants need to register for SKCGS Zoom meetings.Register at our website skcgs.org or use links below. Upon registration, Zoom will send a confirmation email with instructions on joining the meeting.
SEPTEMBER – EARLY OCTOBER 2023 MEETINGS & EVENTS
Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 6:30pm PT SKCGS Board of Directors Meeting (online) All SKCGS members are invited to attend; only Officers and Directors may vote. Write to Board@skcgs.org for the meeting link.
Friday, September 8, 2023 ⋅ 12:30-2:30 PM PT EGS German Interest Group (online) “Wanting to travel to German archives? Hold up! Finesse and Know How Required!” by Annette Unrau. Register at https://tinyurl.com/p323wpt4
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 ⋅ 7:00pm – 8:00pm PT Introduction to Genealogy: Searching US Population Census Records (online) Hosted by King County Library
Join professional genealogist, Winona Laird, from South King County Genealogical Society for a series of programs to help you along on your genealogical journey. King County Library will email a Zoom link no later than 24 hours before the program start time. If you do not see an email, check your Junk or Spam folder. If you need assistance, please contact Jennifer at jwooten@kcls.org.
Friday, September 15, 2023, 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Research Workshop (in-person) For SKCGS members Kent FamilySearch Center 12817 SE 256th St., Kent, WA Seating is limited RSVP REQUIRED to Winona at w.laird@skcgs.org
Saturday, September 16, 2023, 9:30am PT social time; 10:00am – 11:30am PT program SKCGS General Meeting (online) Julie Stoddard presents “Seeing the Hidden Evidence: Strategies to Improve FAN Club Research” When researching ancestors who lived in earlier time periods or regions with few records, the lack of records can create a brick wall in the research. This necessitates expanding the research to include the cluster of people who associated with the ancestor: immediate and extended family, friends, associates, and neighbors, also known as the ancestor’s FAN Club. Come learn when to use cluster research, who is in the ancestor’s cluster, how to organize the findings, and the steps for successful cluster research.
Julie Stoddard, MSc, AG®, is an Accredited Genealogist professional for the U.S. Mid-South. She received a BA in family history from BYU and a master’s degree in Genealogical Studies from the University of Strathclyde. She works part-time as the senior mentor for BYU’s Center for Family History and Genealogy, managing the Linking Families for Cancer Prevention project. She is also an owner of ConnectTheBranch.com where she specializes in DNA and U.S. research. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAldOmsrT0tG9bf1kH114MbubMgArIla0sf After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This meeting will be recorded for playback by members. Monday, September 18, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Technical User Group (online) Topic: Backup, Backup, Backup! Please read https://skcgs.blogspot.com/2023/05/backup-backup-backup.html in advance of the meeting, and bring your tips and tricks. How to YOU do your backups? Do you have a reminder to do so regularly on your calendar? Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAucuigqj4uH92bWWD2uycX9Z1uSsRLY4K6 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS Technical User Group email list for meeting invitations and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/TUG Monday, September 25, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Genealogy Chat(online) Meet up and chat about genealogy subjects and topics. We have no agenda; we just like one another! Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUud-uqpzoiGtEMxlqDBQ_fUeS8oZjScF71 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS email list for meeting invitations and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Society
Thursday, September 28, 2023 ⋅ 11:00am – 1:00pm PT Genealogy Help with SKCGS at the Auburn Library(in-person) Genealogy questions? SKCGS offers one-on-one help with a volunteer 1102 Auburn Way S Auburn, WA 98002 Registration not required. In-person event. Safety guidelines and current protocols followed. More information at King County Library, email kcls-auburn@kcls.org Monday, October 2, 2023, 11:00am PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Using Timelines (online) More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes/bgc
Tuesday, October 3, 2023, 6:30pm PT SKCGS Board of Directors Meeting (online) All SKCGS members are invited to attend; only Officers and Directors may vote. Write to Board@skcgs.org for the meeting link. Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 7:00pm PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Using Timelines (online) Repeat of the October 2nd class More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes/bgc
Friday, October 6, 2023 ⋅ 12:30-2:30 PM PT EGS German Interest Group (online) For meeting topics and registration, visit: https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com
Saturday, October 7, 2023, 10:00am – 12:00pm PT Family Tree Maker Users Group (online) Question & Answer. Each month, we will learn about using the features of FTM. Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdu6uqzgiGdDn7eCsOAgkvdOXktX127sz After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS FTM email list for meeting reminders and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/FTMUG
——————
MEMBERSHIP: We welcome guests to our meetings and special interest groups, which are free. Naturally we hope that visitors will want to become members. Support like yours helps us to educate and engage with our community to foster interest in family and local history. Regarding our programs, even if and when we can meet again in person, we will continue with some virtual programs. You can find more information about membership at our website at https://www.skcgs.org/support-skcgs/membership.
I have been working diligently on the Snohomish County Naturalization Records and am nearing the end. I hope to be done by the end of September. Can you post something in your blog that it is almost complete? Yes! I had completed up to 1947 and then it kicked me back to 1927. 1928 and 1930. The numbers indicate about 1400 left. These are fascinating records and beginning in the 1930s they posted pictures with their Declarations of Intent. I am sure your membership would find these records useful to them.
Your fellow typist at Washington State Scribe Digital Archives,
Vickie Schafer
Editors Note: Scribe is the way millions of records have been made available for everyone researching in Washington. Click Here for Scribe
You are free to copy articles to any non-commercial web site or message board or printed publication you wish. Don’t bother to ask permission, just do it.
Claire V. Brisson-Banks, BS, MLIS, AG®. CEO of Timeless Genealogies, an ancestral research company. Ancestral and forensics genealogist, family historian, educator, librarian, international and US lecturer. She specializes in England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, U.S., and Canada. 
