RootsTech by FamilySearch is honored to announce its first keynote speaker, president and founder of the Dred Scott Foundation and great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott, Lynne M. Jackson.
A remarkable woman, Lynne Jackson will take the RootsTech main stage on Friday, March 1, 2024, to speak on the importance of remembering and connecting with ancestors, touching upon the story of her great-great-grandparents, Dred and Harriet Scott, and how their legacy has shaped her life.
RootsTech, the world’s largest genealogy conference, is 29 Feb to 02 Mar 2024. Experience this amazing event in person (Salt Lake City, UT) or online. To sign up for this free event, click here.
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PROGRAM UPDATES
All meetings are online via Zoom except the in-person Research Group
Genealogy Help at the Auburn Library is canceled for November due to the Thanksgiving holiday
Join us December 2 for a presentation, Q&A session, and chance to win a copy of Family Tree Maker 2019 with special guest Mark Olsen, Family Tree Maker Ambassador
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.
NOVEMBER – EARLY DECEMBER 2023 MEETINGS & EVENTS
Wednesday, November 1, 2023, 7:00pm PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Preparing a Research Notebook and Organizing Your Genealogy (online) More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes/bgc
Friday, November 3, 2023 ⋅ 12:30-2:30 PM PT EGS German Interest Group (online) German Guilds and their Records: A Possibility for Filling Gaps when Church Records are Missing Presented by Fritz Juengling, Ph.D., AG®For meeting registration, visit https://tinyurl.com/2kzh8yd2
Saturday, November 4, 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
Monday, November 6, 2023, 11:00am PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Preparing a Research Notebook and Organizing Your Genealogy (online) Repeat of November 1st class More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes/bgc
Tuesday, November 7, 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.
Monday, November 13, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Genetic Genealogy/DNA Interest Group (online) What’s New at Ancestry.com – How to Use New Features to Answer Your Research Questions Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIucuCvqTsqHNcN7wBEC0fB_3-TRYD1rZLm After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS Genetic-Genealogy email list for meeting reminders and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Genetic-Genealogy Wednesday, November 15, 2023 ⋅ 7:00pm – 8:00pm PT Using Timelines in your Genealogy (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, November 17, 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, November 18, 2023, 9:30am PT social time; 10:00am – 11:30am PT program SKCGS General Membership Meeting (online) Michael L. Strauss presents “Following the Tracks: Your Ancestors on the Railroad” Railroads for nearly two centuries have been the preferred mode of transportation for many of our ancestors. Their rich history includes details on when lines started, ceased, merged, or filed bankruptcy. Records including employee, manuscripts, directories, pensions, social security, and other organizations including the Pullman Porters and Harvey Girls are examined.
Michael L. Strauss, AG has been employed as a forensic investigator for thirty years, most recently he has worked as a research manager for Ancestry ProGenealogists. Michael is a native of Pennsylvania and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. He is a court qualified expert witness in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Michael is a national genealogical lecturer and instructor and is a faculty member at Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), and the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) where he coordinates the military history and research courses. Michael was the film historian for the 2015 Academy Award nominated movie Finding Vivian Maier and has been involved in Civil War and Mexican American War reenacting for more than twenty-five years.
Monday, November 20, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Technical User Group (online) How to Make Use of Lost Cousins – https://www.lostcousins.com/ Create an account with Lost Cousins if you don’t have one, and begin to find not just all of your direct ancestors but as many collaterals as possible in order to follow the advice on the HowTo page: https://www.lostcousins.com/pages/info/how_to.mhtml. 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, November 27, 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 Friday, December 1, 2023 ⋅ 12:30-2:30 PM PT EGS German Interest Group (online) German Advent, Christmas and New Year’s Traditions and Superstitions Presenter Ingeborg Carpenter will share stories about German Advent, Christmas and New Year’s traditions for the period from December 1st to
Saturday, December 2, 2023, 10:00am – 12:00pm PT Family Tree Maker Users Group (online) Presentation and Q&A with special guest Mark Olsen, Family Tree Maker Ambassador Mark Olsen is the Family Tree Maker Ambassador to historical and genealogical societies around the world working to support their members as they use Family Tree Maker. Mark is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Family History with a Spanish records emphasis. He has been working in the genealogy industry since 2007 and has been the Family Tree Maker Ambassador since 2016.
After his presentation there will be a drawing for a Family Tree Maker 2019 program.
Tuesday, December 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. Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 7:00pm PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Immigration, Emigration, and Naturalization Records (online) Repeat of the December 4th class More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes/bgc
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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.
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Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, MA, is a national speaker and author. She is a member of DAR and is the current family history consultant for the Corona, CA Family History Center. Jean has over 45 years of research experience and has participated in a number of other society boards. She writes the “Aunty Jeff” column for the Informer, the newsletter for the Jefferson County NY Genealogical Society. Her website: circlemending.org Civil War Research: Learning About Your Union Veteran Ancestor It is easier than ever to get the records of a Civil War ancestor. Basic steps on how to recognize that a person fought in the War Between the States as well as the processes that can be used to determine his regiment and company will be explored. Also provided: how to access the sources that have the records in the collections or databases. What researchers can expect to find on the records will be discussed, along with tips on less obvious things to search for in the documents received. These are illustrated by actual copies of Civil War military and pension records. Please note that this lecture focuses on Union records. It will not cover Confederate research. When: November 9, 2023 11:00 AM to Noon Where: ZOOM Cost: Members $20 Non-members $ 25 Sign-up & Pay: Go to hqrl.com Go to the HQRL Store Be sure to sign in to your account if you are a current member in order to receive the discount. A link will be sent to your email 2 days before the class.
Can you imagine being dunked to prove your guilt or innocence? The poor man or (usually) a woman was tied to a chair and dunked into deep water until they confessed. If they could not recite the Lord’s Prayer without any error, they were a witch and dunked for good.
Dunking was only one of seven “tests” administered to determine witches. One other was:
As part of the infamous “swimming test,” accused witches were dragged to the nearest body of water, stripped to their undergarments, bound and then tossed in to see if they would sink or float. Since witches were believed to have spurned the sacrament of baptism, it was thought that the water would reject their bodies and prevent them from submerging.
According to this logic, an innocent person would sink like a stone, but a witch would simply bob on the surface.
Much research has been done on the genealogies of these twenty poor souls. If you suspect a connection to one of these twenty, here are some resources for you:
review your family tree for relatives living in Essex County in 1692-3
further build your Essex Co lines using verified sources (probate, journals)
compare surnames of the witches, and their children, to your own genealogy
consult the titles below:
Associated Daughters of Early American Witches Roll of Ancestors, by Kimberly Ormsby Nagy, 2012
The Witch hunt of 1692: A Tragedy in Massachusetts, by Marjorie Wardwll Otten, 1990
The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community under Siege, by Marilynne K. Roach, 2002
AmericanAncestors.org provides a variety of resources
FamilySearch.org/wiki has pages and pages of resources for Essex County
Thanks to David Allen Lambert’s article in the American Ancestors Magazine for this information.
10AM Friday, November 17, 2023, on Zoom, direct from Glasgow, Scotland
Michelle Leonard will present:
“Top Tips for Researching Your Scottish & English Ancestors.”
Michelle Leonard is a professional genealogist, DNA Detective, freelance researcher, speaker, author and historian. She has extensive experience both in the traditional and genetic genealogy spheres and runs her own genealogy and DNA consultancy business, Genes & Genealogy.
This online seminar is hosted by Genealogical Forum of Oregon and offers a full day of techniques and tips to get the most out researching on the computer. From using common apps in creative ways to squeezing the most out of Google, you are sure to learn something new! The main speaker is the charismatic and always entertaining Thomas MacEntee.
Session 1 – You Use WHAT for Your Genealogy?
Session 2 – Google Tools for Genealogists
Session 3 – Genealogy Tech with Thomas
Session 4 – Tech Troubleshooting – What Would You Do?
We realize that all these genealogically-wonderful digital records we so eagerly seek and use are made available to us by “somebodies,” right? Is there a space in your life to be a SOMEBODY and help pay it forward by helping transcribe Washington’s historic records?
The Washington Office of the secretary of State, in an effort to increase accessibility to the historical records of our state, initiated the Historical Records Project (HRP) in 2002. Staff from the State Library and State Archives identified records from their collections for inclusion in the project, as well as those held by numerous local museums, genealogical and historical societies.
Currently millions of searchable records are available free of charge on the Washington State Archives website (www.digitalarchives.wa.gov). Yet much work needs to be done. Countless numbers of records need to be transcribed and indexed in order to be beneficial to researchers.
THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN! You can most definitely help!! You can help by signing up to help index these digital records via SCRIBE………. and you can work from home, at your own pace and with NO pressure and lots of tutorials and helps. What sort of records, you ask? Birth-Cemetery-Census-Death-Institution-Land-Marriage-Military-Naturalization and more.
Click to https://scribe.digitalarchives.wa.gov to create an account and become a “scribe” today!! P.S. View the User Guide to help get you started. 🙂
The Clallam County Speaker’s Series will host Sara Cochran, November 11th, starting at 10:00. There is no cost to watch the presentation. .
Her topic will be Shaky Leaf Syndrome: Using Website Generated Hints More Effectively. Indexing, optical character recognition, and computer algorithms make finding obscure records about our families easier than ever! Unfortunately, computers can’t distinguish between people of the same name who lived in different places or at different times. Using real examples, Sara will evaluate hints and attach the keepers to our trees.
Sara is a wonderful speaker, returning by request. She has a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and a degree in Library Science. She writes a blog, The Skeleton Whisperer, and specializes in Irish research, methodology, completing applications for USDAR, USD1812, and DUVCW, et al.
The program will be via Zoom. The meeting number and passcode will be available to all by email request: askus@clallamcogs.org or by phoning the Society: 360-417-5000.
Folks are also invited to attend at the Clallam County Research Center at 403 E. 8th Street in Port Angeles, WA. All are requested to register at 9:45. And how can anyone resist a genealogist who refers to themself as “The Skeleton Whisperer!”
More information will be available at our website: www.clallamcogs.org. and at the Research Center in Port Angeles. The Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-4pm, and Saturday noon -4. There is no cost to use our library, computers, or data-bases.
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.
Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, MA, is a national speaker and author. She is a member of DAR and is the current family history consultant for the Corona, CA Family History Center. Jean has over 45 years of research experience and has participated in a number of other society boards. She writes the “Aunty Jeff” column for the Informer, the newsletter for the Jefferson County NY Genealogical Society. Her website: circlemending.org 
