Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Recreating Your Ancestor’s World

Mary Kircher Roddy

October 18, 2024, 10 AM

Recreating Your Ancestor’s World

This will be a Hybrid meeting at the Bainbridge Library and on Zoom

Please Register Here to Attend via Zoom

Learn how to combine maps, city directories, census records, and more to visualize your ancestor’s world. Understanding their environment will help you understand them.  

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 earned her certificate in Genealogy and Family History at the University of Washington.

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Survivors of Disasters

Survivors of Disasters: How Deadly Forces of Nature Impacted our Ancestors’ Lives

 Friday, September 20, 2024

10:00 am

Zoom Only – Please Register

L-R: Robin Engel is a retired lawyer and native Washingtonian.

Karen Strelow is a retired physical education specialist.

Rene Vance is a retired chemical engineer.

All three are members of the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society.

Click Here to Register

In the extreme, weather and natural disasters have a direct impact on the lives and deaths of our ancestors. In more subtle ways, conditions may influence their relocation, helping to expain the “why”, “where” and “when” of their movements.

Our presenters will share their stories of volcanoes, blizzards, avalanches, floods, tornadoes and heat waves, and how they affected their ancestors lives.

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Using Genetic Genealogy in Crime Fiction



This talk gives an overview of the investigative genetic genealogy process, IGG: what it is, where it is used and the basics of how it is undertaken.
Nathan will briefly discuss some real-life key cases that have used IGG and then move on to his own fictional writing, focusing on the Venator Cold Case series, which uses this methodology to catch serial killers. He will explain his meticulous research method, the experts that he consults and his writing process.
Friday, July 19 @ 10AM on Zoom only Nathan Dylan Goodwin will present The Science Behind the Stories: Using Genetic Genealogy in Crime Fiction


Nathan Dylan Goodwin is a British historical, genealogical mystery crime writer. A member of the Society of Authors, he has completed several local history books about his birthplace of Hastings, England, as well as several works of fiction, including the acclaimed Forensic Genealogist series, the Mrs. McDougall Investigates series and the Venator Cold Case series. He is a qualified teacher, member of the Guild of One Name Studies and the Society of Genealogists, as well as being a member of several history societies in Southeast England. Nathan is also the co-creator with Diahan Southard of the in-person and virtual masterclass in investigative genetics, Genealogy Solves It (GSI).

So, please join us on July 19 at 10AM on Zoom

No membership necessary but registration is required.

Register now on our website: bigenealogy.org

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Y-Chromosome Insights & Strategies

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society

Y-Chromosome Insights & Strategies

Richard Hill

Friday, May 17, 2024 at 10:00am – Zoom Only

Learn how Y-DNA testing of suitable males can trace and
confirm paternal lines in your family tree. See how to
choose the right test and how to work with your genetic
matches. Examples cover STRs, SNPs, genetic distance,
match thresholds, Tip reports, the Y-DNA tree,
haplogroups, group projects, account settings, and more.

Richard Hill, the first adoptee to identify his birth family through
DNA testing and genetic genealogy, created the DNA Testing
Adviser website in 2008. Over the next 13 years, he educated
thousands of readers and answered a regular flood of individual
questions. Selling that website in 2021, he launched his “DNA
Favorites” website, self-published “Finding Family: My Search for
Roots” and the “Secrets in My DNA” and became an in-demand
genealogical speaker on all topics DNA.

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society The Paper Trail to Naturalization Records

Friday, April 19 @ 10AM
At the Bainbridge Library
and on Zoom
Evelyn Roehl
will present
Pledging Allegiance – the Paper Trail to
Naturalization Records

Evelyn will first provide historical information on naturalization and citizenship including the many changes through the years. She’ll discuss the different court systems involved in the two steps of the naturalization process and give us research tips and techniques to get through the maze and find your ancestors’ information.

Evelyn Roehl was born in Minnesota and raised on a family farm, the youngest of ten children. She moved to Seattle in 1985 and in 1992 began digging into the roots of her family tree. Two years later she took a sabbatical to travel across the United States and then over to Germany and France to trace her ancestors and relatives.
In 1995, she started Kin Hunters to offer her genealogical research and publishing skills to others. She has made numerous research trips to the Family History Library (FamilySearch) in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as to other research facilities around the United States and Canada

So, please join us on April 19 at 10AM

either at the Bainbridge Library or on Zoom

Everyone Welcome! No membership necessary but registration is required.

Register now on our website: bigenealogy.org

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Irish Family History

Friday, March 15 @ 10AM On Zoom

Maureen Brady will present

Irish Family History: The Essentials

Learn to be successful with your Irish family history research. This presentation will discuss how Ireland’s history affects the records and their availability, help for deciphering the layers of Ireland’s land divisions and place names, and the best websites for locating the records.

Maureen Brady, a former school librarian and computer educator, has forty years’ experience with family history research. She has traced her Scottish roots back to the end of the 17th century and beyond, and has also pursued Irish, Swedish, Quebecois, and U.S. Midwest research. Maureen has made numerous presentations to genealogical societies, libraries, conferences and workshops throughout the U.S. A member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild, she is also active in many regional genealogical societies.

So, please join us on March 15 at 10AM on Zoom

Everyone Welcome! No membership necessary but registration is required.

Register now on our website: bigenealogy.org

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Recreating Your Ancestor’s World

Friday, February 16 @ 10AM On Zoom and at the Bainbridge Public Library Mary Kircher Roddy will present Recreating Your Ancestor’s World




Learn about your ancestor’s world by learning more about what was going on during their lifetimes in the places they lived. Discover where such information sources are and just how to access them.

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 BIGS Programs genealogy in a year. Two decades later, that genealogy is still a work in progress.

So, please join us on February 16 at 10AM on Zoom or in-person

Everyone Welcome! No membership necessary but registration is required.

Register now on our website: bigenealogy.org

Lori Gibson Named One of WSGS’s Outstanding Volunteers in 2023

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 600 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2023 award recipients and learn why they received the 2023 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Today we’re introducing Lori Gibson of Bainbridge Island, Washington, who was nominated by the Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS).

Lori took over the position of website administrator in 2016. She has served tirelessly, maintaining the site on a day-to-day basis, finding illustrations and creating layouts, posting and archiving material, and handling all the site’s technical needs. In the process, she worked successfully with several different BIGS newsletter editors and contributed to those communications as well. The website was originally developed in HTML. Lori migrated the site to WordPress and provided a leadership role in two separate “website refreshes.”

Most recently, Lori integrated PayPal into the website, allowing BIGS to collect dues via the web. In addition to her work on the website, Lori also volunteers as a member of the hybrid meeting committee.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Volunteer Award” in the subject line.

Joleen Aitchison Named One of WSGS’s Outstanding Volunteers in 2023

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 600 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2023 award recipients and learn why they received the 2023 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Today we’re introducing Joleen Aitchison of Kingston, Washington, who was nominated by the Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS).

Joleen’s volunteerism started even before she joined BIGS. In 2013, as director of the Family History Center in Poulsbo, she volunteered to give a presentation at a BIGS monthly meeting and then became a member. And she’s been a consistent and valuable volunteer ever since, serving as a mentor, working on the newsletter and now the website, making full-scale presentations, and offering one-on-one help to anyone interested. In addition to serving as a Special Interest Group leader, Joleen is a major resource for BIGS’s members in other special interest groups. She is a past board member and was a major contributor to several Family History Month special events open to the public.

Joleen is one of BIGS’s most knowledgeable members in both traditional genealogy and genealogical DNA and is able to make complex information understandable and approachable to the less experienced.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Volunteer Award” in the subject line.

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Get Organized to Write Your Family Stories

Friday, January 19 @ 10AM
on Zoom
Annette Burke Lyttle
will present
Get Organized to Write Your Family Stories

Sharing our family stories with others is critical, so those stories don’t get lost. But it can be very daunting to know how to get started. Learn some ways to organize your space, your time, your ideas, and your research results that will make it easier for you to write them up.

Annette Burke Lyttle owns Heritage Detective, LLC, providing professional genealogical services in research, education, and writing. She speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the national, state, and local levels and loves helping people uncover and share their family stories. She is coordinator of the Fall Virtual Intermediate Foundations course for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Annette leads Best Practices Study Groups for a number of organizations, providing in-depth education on the genealogical research process in an interactive setting. She is president of the Association of Professional Genealogists and editor of The Florida Genealogist

So, please join us on January 19 at 10AM on Zoom
Everyone Welcome! No membership necessary but registration is required.

Register now on our website: bigenealogy.org