Karen Mitchell, the 2023 recipient of the WSGS President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement, received her engraved pen/pencil set recently. Karen is a founding member of the Clallam County Genealogical Society and has never let up on her dedication to the society. CCGS will display the perpetual plaque for the next year.
For more about Karen, read this blog post. Congratulations, Karen and CCGS!
Do you know who’s running the show at the Washington State Genealogical Society? Who are these people? In the coming months, we’ll introduce them to you, so you can say “hi” the next time you hear from them. (Note: This is an updated version of Ginny’s story, first published in January 2017.)
In today’s “Meet the Board” series, we’re introducing you to Virginia Majewski from Sequim. Virginia, more familiarly known to us as Ginny, is WSGS’s past President. Her dedication to WSGS is longstanding and worked many years to make it more relevant and helpful to local societies. Besides being WSGS president from 2017 – 2021, she previously served as WSGS’s Secretary, Region 3 Representative and Vice President.
Undoubtedly, one of Ginny’s greatest WSGS legacies will be her brainchild — the Pioneer Pursuit program. The effort encourages genealogists and history enthusiasts to document every man, woman and child in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889. To date, more than 3,500 individuals have been documented and verified as living in the territory before statehood. Ginny is very excited about the response the program has received. Although the contest element ended on October 31, 2023, Ginny encourages everyone to “keep sending in your families!”
Virginia Ann was born in Yakima to Wesley Roy and Nancy Jane (Grabill) Forney. She is a proud 4th generation Washingtonian and descendant of the Pioneer family of John C. Forney and his wife Kate H. Ebersold. Ginny’s name was handed down through her mother’s family – great grandmother, great aunts and aunts – even though Ginny’s dad maintains he picked out her name.
Ginny is a graduate of Quincy High School in Quincy, Washington (Grant County) and Sacred Heart School of Nursing in Spokane. She is married to Moe, her husband of 36 years. She is the mother of four grown children and, most importantly, grandmother of eight, ages 23 – 7. She retired from her career of 42 years as an Obstetrical Nurse in 2013. She is active in her church and manages its annual holiday bazaar, selling all hand crafted items.
Ginny has been involved in genealogy for more than 20 years. It all started with a couple of boxes of “junk” from her grandparent’s estate. She was bitten by the genealogy bug and it became one of her life’s passions. Her maternal and paternal lines go back to exiled Mennonites in Switzerland. In 2000, she took a three-week genealogical tour of Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands – following the path of her exiled ancestors.
Virginia holds a Certification in Advanced Genealogical Studies in both American Records and Methodology from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies in Toronto, Canada. Currently, she is the Treasurer of Clallam County Genealogical Society after having served as its president for a number of terms. She is also a member of a variety of genealogical and historical groups. She loves to do genealogical traveling and giving educational presentations to genealogy groups..
When asked what she finds most interesting about genealogy, Ginny muses about a bigamist, unknown illegitimate cousins, a civil war hero and many more interesting characters!
A few more interesting tidbits about Ginny:
Now you know a little more about one of the WSGS Board members. The next time you see Ginny, say hello and thank her for her service to the WSGS.
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.
WSGS President Kathleen Sizer is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Achievement Award: Karen Mitchell from the Clallam County Genealogical Society. The announcement was made at the WSGS Annual Meeting on 31 Aug 2023.
Created in 2015, the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement is designed to single out that rare individual, society or organization who has demonstrated exemplary service above and beyond expectations. The award is not given every year as it is based on merit and accomplishments. As you’ll see from reading about Karen’s dedication, she is worthy of this recognition.
A founding member of the Clallam County Genealogical Society (CCGS), Karen has consistently displayed the values of the society through her commitment, determination and leadership.
During her 42-year history with the society, she has succeeded in developing the CCGS Research Center into one of the largest private genealogical libraries on the West Coast. The center is home to over 5,000 cataloged items which can be accessed using LibraryThing. The Research Center is a place to view maps, land plats, photographs, do research and check out materials. Visitors can also view vintage photographs and maps mounted on walls and atlases and periodicals.
Karen was instrumental is obtaining a rare bookcase that now houses books written before 1910 and have never been reprinted. She has created a lending room where members can check out items of interest.
As CCGS’s librarian, Karen was at the forefront of their successful move into a larger facility in 2020. She supervised the packing of over 3,000 items from the previous facility, removal of bookshelves, shipment to the new facility, reinstallation of shelving, books, maps, files, and all the material that make up the expanded library.
Karen has served as president twice and is currently seated on the board of directors as Past President. She obtained certification as a school librarian, worked as a librarian for 30 years, and brought her experience and commitment to record preservation and skill to CCGS.
Karen continues to volunteer at the Research Center along with her husband, Tom. She is often the go-to person on CCGS operating rules and bylaws regarding governance matters.
Because of her lifelong learning (she first worked in a library at age 14), her organizational talents, her patience and persistence have made CCGS’s facility a first-class resource center.
If you want to know more about the qualities needed for this prestigious award, click here. Previous recipients are listed here.
Clallam County Genealogical Speakers’ Series — October 14th – 2023
Jill Morelli
Becoming a Genealogical “Super Sleuth!”
All-day Seminar
The Program: Four One Hour Sessions
I The Genealogical Proof Standard According to Shirlock Holms
Using Sherlock’s own words we will explore his take on the Genealogical Proof Standard – a fun way to look at the GPS! Who knew that SH was just following the GPS?!
II Solving the Family Myth Using Principles of Logic.
Who doesn’t have a story told to them about their ancestors? These undocumented stories are “myths” and are prevalent in almost everyone’s family, but how does one prove their veracity? We will look at a way to separate the wheat from the chaff.
III Don’t Build your Own Brick Walls!
Most brick walls are of our own making! We need to address the reasons why they exist so we can resolve the problem. We will review some of the reasons our brick walls get built and how to tear them down. Hard hat ready? Let’s start smashing the wall!
IV Be a Super Sleuth! Accessing and Using Images at family Search
Did you know that now over 95% of the online records of FamilySearch are not accessible by a surname search? Did you know that FamilySearch was now putting their newly digitized records in Images and NOT in the Card Catalog? How do you find these records and access the information you need? We will explore the access options Images to you and how to “read” the record for maximum efficiency.
Schedule:
9:00 – 9:20 Registration (and a bit of noshing)
9:20 – 930 Opening Remarks by our President, Paul Wessel
9:30 – 10:30 Session I – The Genealogical Proof Standard According to Sherlock Holmes
10:30-10:50 Break
10:50-11:30 Session II — Solving the Family Myth Using Principles of Logic
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 Session III – Don’t Build Your Own Brick Walls!
1:30 – 1:50 Break
1:50 – 2:50 Session IV – Be a Super Sleuth! Accessing and Using Images at Familysearch
2:50 – 3:00 Drawing, final comments.
Registration: Begins on September 1st.
Members OF CCGS: $45 Non-members: $50
Save $5 by registering early before September 20th.
Checks should be made out to CCGS
Credit cards can be used by going to the CCGS website to use the PayPal app.
Location: Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church
925 N. Sequim Avenue, Sequim, WA
This will be a hybrid Presentation. Participants can either attend the presentation live or watch Jill on Zoom. Zoom meeting number and pass codes will be emailed to participants upon receipt of payment.
For more information call the society at 360-417-5000 or visit the website: www.clallamcogs.org.
Our Speaker: About Jill Morelli
Jill Morelli is a renown researcher, speaker and author. She has appeared in Legacy Webinars, National conferences, and has won national awards for the many gifts she has brought to genealogy. She is exceptional.
The Clallam County Genealogical Society’s Speaker Series will host Mike Karsen Saturday, September 9th at 10:00 am.
In his program, “Sex, Murder, and Genealogy?” Mike will tell the story of Dora Feldman McDonald, the daughter of German Jewish immigrants, who made the front page of Chicago newspapers in 1907 when she shot her lover. Dora, who was married to one of the most powerful political bosses in Chicago at the time, used murder to end this affair and her lover’s blackmail.
But what ever happened to her after her dramatic acquittal the following year? Genealogist Mike Karsen uses every trick in his tool bag to set the record straight and follow her trail and brings Sex, Murder, and Genealogy together.
A professional speaker, Mike Karsen is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), and the Genealogical Speakers Guild Illinois. He has presented over 300 talks on genealogy topics locally, nationally, and internationally including Newberry Library and Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago. Mike is the author of the JewishGen website, “Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Chicagoland,” and has published articles on genealogy. He holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics/computer science and a master’s in operations research alongside 30 years in telecommunications management.
We enjoyed a previous presentation he provided. A wonderful speaker and storyteller, he is back by popular demand!
All are invited to attend this free presentation via Zoom or by joining us at the CCGS Research Center and Library. To obtain the Zoom meeting number and passcode, call or email the society.
The CCGS Research Center is located at 403 8th Street in Port Angeles, WA.
For more information and to get the meeting number and passcode:
Our email address: askus@clallamcogs.org.
Phone number: 360-417-5000. Call between the hours of 10am – 4pm Mon-Friday or on Saturdays noon to 4pm. Otherwise leave a message.
The Speakers Series from the Clallam County Genealogical Society will host John P. Hansel and his presentation “The Mayflower Compact.” August 12th beginning at 10:00 AM.
The Mayflower Compact was a written agreement, signed by the male passengers on the Mayflower. After leaving England, they decided to make and enforce their own set of laws. Having fled persecutions for their religious beliefs in Holland and England, passengers on the Mayflower had no sponsor, nor a set of regulations to guide them.
The Compact continued to serve as the foundation of the governments of the New England colonies, and many consider it to be America’s “First Constitution.” Having a set of laws founded and enforced by those who chose to live by them, set the stage for the American way of life.
John P. Hansel, a graduate of Princeton University, has been active teaching Constitutional Law and Political Thought. He has also founded the non-profit Elm Research Institute to protect and preserve the American Elm.
All are invited to listen to this Zoom presentation. One can watch the lecture at 10:00 am at the Clallam County Research Society located at 403 E. 8th Street in Port Angeles or via Zoom at home. Email the Society or call to receive the Zoom meeting number and pass code. The email address is clallamcountyresearcher@gmail.com . Our phone number is 360-417-5000.
Join us at no cost, and learn about this fascinating and important event in our American History.
Saturday, July 8th — 10:00am.
The Clallam County Genealogical Society will present Claire Smith. Her topic: Getting Unstuck: Working Through Research Problems.
Claire Smith is a Professional Genealogist with certificates from Boston University, the University of Washington, and the ProGen Professional Genealogy Study Group. She is a wizard at presenting an organized approach for finding missing ancestors. A gifted and popular speaker, she includes humor and supporting details for her topic.
In this presentation she will share methodologies for breaking down your brick walls.
The program will be available to the public via Zoom or at the Clallam County Genealogical Society’s Research Center located at 403 E. 8th Street, Port Angeles. One can obtain the Zoom Meeting Number and Passcode by either calling the center at 360-417-5000 or by email request: clallamresearcher@gmail.com.
There is no charge to attend this program. Attendees are requested to sign in at 9:45 am.
Clallam County Genealogical Society Speaker Series Presents:
JUDY RUSSELL, jd, cg, cgs
“The Legal Genealogist”
Saturday, May 13, 10:00
Quarantined! Genealogy, the Law, and Public Health
From the Plague to Tuberculosis, the law worked to protect the public from epidemics. Learn how public health records can add to any family’s history.
Judy Russell is a certified genealogist who also has a law degree. She is known as the “Legal Genealogist,” and has used her knowledge to help all of us to understand the archaic legal language and laws to which our ancestors were subjected through her writings, seminars, and webinars.
Everyone is welcome to join us to hear her presentation via Zoom. To get the Zoom meeting number and passcode, please contact CCGS at 360-417-5000 between the hours of 10am – 4pm, Tuesday-Friday, or Saturdays, noon to 4pm. You are also welcome to watch the presentation at the CCGS research center: 403 E 8th Street, Port Angeles.
For more information check the CCGS Website: www.clallamcogs.org.
There is no charge for attendance.
DNA Doesn’t Lie, but Needs Help to Find the Truth! — a presentation by Debbie Smith sponsored by the Clallam Genealogical Society Saturday, April 15th at our 10:30 am meeting.
DNA is a valuable tool for use in genealogic research for providing the proof of a genetic relationship. However, it does not stand alone. Documentary research is needed to confirm genealogic relationships. This lecture will demonstrate how pairing DNA discoveries with research can strengthen your conclusions.
Debbie Smyth holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University. Her research and lectures focus on DNA, methodology, lineage society applications, and midwestern and southern states.
The meeting will be available through Zoom. One can obtain the Zoom meeting number and passcode by calling CCGS Tuesday through Friday — 10am to 4pm, or Saturday — noon to 4pm. The phone number is 360-417-5000.
The program will also be presented at the CCGS Research Center located at 403 E. 8th Street in Port Angeles, WA.
There is no cost to attend this meeting and presentation.
For more information visit our website: www. clallamcogs.org.
DNA Doesn’t Lie, but Needs Help to Find the Truth! — a presentation by Debbie Smith sponsored by the Clallam Genealogical Society Saturday, April 15th at our 10:30 am meeting.
DNA is a valuable tool for use in genealogic research for providing the proof of a genetic relationship. However, it does not stand alone. Documentary research is needed to confirm genealogic relationships. This lecture will demonstrate how pairing DNA discoveries with research can strengthen your conclusions.
Debbie Smyth holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University. Her research and lectures focus on DNA, methodology, lineage society applications, and midwestern and southern states.
The meeting will be available through Zoom. One can obtain the Zoom meeting number and passcode by calling CCGS Tuesday through Friday — 10am to 4pm, or Saturday — noon to 4pm. The phone number is 360-417-5000.
The program will also be presented at the CCGS Research Center located at 403 E. 8th Street in Port Angeles, WA.
There is no cost to attend this meeting and presentation.
For more information visit our website: www. clallamcogs.org.