Here’s hoping that you all had a wonderful summer!
It’s almost September and soon we will be meeting friends to enjoy our passion together: Genealogy!
(please read through this whole message…there may be some info that you need to know.)
Saturday, September 9
Tracing Italian Ancestors: Uncovering Origins and Understanding the Records
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Shadle Library in person and on Zoom
Our speaker, Michele Jeglum invites you on a journey to uncover your Italian roots and learn essential strategies for tracing the lives of your Italian ancestors. We will examine ways to find your immigrants hometown in Italy and delve into the various types of records held in these towns. Learn how to interpret these documents, extract valuable information, and navigate potential challenges.
Please print your sylabus before you arrive; it will be posted on the EWGSi website the day prior to the presentation.
Free Table: From Jeanne Coe:
“I will be putting out a variety of publications. People may take what they want and return them at another meeting for others to use or keep them if they wish. They may also bring their “old” or unwanted publications for others to take. There really is no “old” genealogy materials as the information is still useful. Each meeting will have different free materials.”
(Please note: there will NOT be a free table at the October Seminar)
October Seminar Book Auction:
This will be a silent auction of genealogy-related books.
(October 7th…see website for futher info on the seminar)
Please bring your book donations to the September meeting so that we have time to process them prior to October.
(Book donations may include genealogy, history, cultures, maps, or other resouces that might be useful in researching genealogy.)
Don’t miss the final episode of our Heartland Series!
Oklahoma!
Saturday, June 3
“Researching Oklahoma Ancestors
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Hybrid Meeting (In-person at Shadle Library and by Zoom)
Speaker: Jim Ike
Oklahoma has been a lot of things to a lot of people over the years. To some it was a place they were taken, to some it was a place for hope, to some it was a place of despair, to others it is their home. I hope to show what Oklahoma was and has become and for what ever reason your ancestors passed this way, what we have to offer to you to find out about them.
Hybrid (join us in person or by Zoom) Meeting at Shadle Park Library, Spokane, WA
KANSAS
Guest Speaker Lauri Jean Swett
Whether your ancestors came to Kansas to stay, they spent a generation or two, or were just passing through, their footprints can be found in Kansas’ records. They came for many reasons including the issue of slavery, trails west, the Homestead Act, and the railroads. Learn the nuances of researching in the Sunflower State.
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 weeks, you will be introduced to each of the 2022 award recipients and learn why they received the 2022 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.
Jennilyn has been a vibrant, enthusiastic member of EWGS. She volunteered as membership chairperson immediately. Through the years, and especially during our pandemic, Jennilyn focused on personally keeping members apprised about the changes the society was making to keep in touch with other members. Most importantly, she kept them coming back! Her time spent calling and talking with members that had not renewed was an integral part of keeping EWGS’s membership active and the society vitally alive for the past two years. As membership chair, she encouraged several new members to become involved with other committees.
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.
TIP OF THE WEEK – THESE MAY INTEREST YOU (PUN INTENDED)
The Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (EWGS) has a couple of special interest groups that should be of interest to a great number of people. These groups are for two icons of the genealogy world, Ancestry.com which obviously needs no introduction, and RootsMagic, a popular software program.
The Ancestry User Group meets on the 2nd Thursday of most months from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Pacific Time. It is a hybrid meeting; meaning you may attend in person or attend online, your choice.
The RootsMagic User Group meets the 3rd Monday of most months online via Zoom. Meeting time is 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Pacific time.
You do not have to be a member of EWGS to attend these user groups. For more information and instructions for joining these interest groups, go to their website and as you scroll down you will see on the left a link to “Spec. Interest Groups”. Click that. Get to the EWGS website using the link below:
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 see them. (Note: a variation of Charles’s story was published in October 2017.)
Blog Master Charles Hansen
In today’s “Meet the Board” series, we’re introducing you to Charles Hansen from Spokane. Charles is WSGS’s Blog Master, as well as chair of the Resource Guide Project. He is a longtime member of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society where he serves as their Registered Agent, email chair, chief researcher (since 1998), head of library volunteers and one of their bloggers.
We know him as Charles, but he was born Charles Michael Hansen and called “Mike” by his family for as long as he can remember – probably to avoid confusion with his maternal grandfather Charles Rupert Kelly after whom he was named. His middle name honored his paternal grandfather Anton Mikkel Hansen.
Born in Spokane, Charles graduated from Washington State University in Pullman in 1971. For many years, he’s been an “Enrolled Agent,” someone considered by the IRS to be the equivalent of a CPA – able to do examinations, collections and appeals. In case you were wondering, the name Enrolled Agent came about soon after the Civil War when Enrolled Agents were authorized by the government to fill out paperwork for the veterans and families of the veterans for benefits provided by the government.
Charles and his grandfather Charles Kelly, Aunt Mayme McMichael and his grandmother Cleo Kelly
Charles became interested in genealogy back in 1990 after he and his sister Jacque decided to hold a family reunion. They started looking for their Hansen relatives – not an easy task considering that Charles and Jacque have more than 100 second cousins! After corresponding with their Dad’s first cousin Lorraine Erickson, a Family History Center volunteer in Arizona, Lorraine sent them a group sheet — something Charles and Jacque had never seen before! Lorraine suggested they send blank group sheets with the reunion packets. Imagine their surprise when they got 350 family group sheets back! They dutifully typed the information into a program called the “Enhanced Family Tree” and printed a book for everyone that came to the reunion.
That started the ball rolling. Wanting to find out more about their family, they took a beginning genealogical course through the local community college taught by Donna Potter-Phillips, past president of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society — and WSGS Vice President. She encouraged Charles and Jacque to join EWGS and the rest is, well…history.
A tip from Charles: I didn’t record who sent me each group sheet, so for the first 500 names in my genealogical file today most have no sources, but I do have the hard copy group sheets. Also the Enhanced Family Tree program did not have the ability to save data as a GEDCOM so when I switched to a better program, I had to retype all the data I had.
Charles and Jacque recently returned from a road trip to visit family and the Montana State Genealogical Society conference in Missoula to hear Judy Russell and Amy Crow. Charles has also visited Minnesota where the five original Hansen brothers settled. He’s also got ancestors from Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, New England, Denmark, England, Scotland and Germany.
When Charles isn’t blogging on the WSGS Blog (or his own blog http://charles-mikkelshus.blogspot.com/), researching at the county courthouse, volunteering at EWGS or doing his own genealogy, he’s out in his garden puttering here and there.
More trivia about Charles:
His favorite color is blue.
His favorite dessert is ice cream.
His most used genealogy website is the Washington State Digital Archives – where he’s transcribed over 568,000 records — 568,650 to be exact!
He says the single word that best describes him is “introvert.”
Now you know a little more about one of the WSGS Board members. The next time you see Charles, say hello and thank him for his service to the WSGS.
Please Mark Your Calendars Now! You Must Register in Advance for this Seminar! Go to the website EWGSi and follow the instructions: you MUST fill out the registration form and then choose your form of payment.
Saturday, April 1 HERITAGE FROM THE HEARTLAND SPRING SEMINAR 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Hybrid Meeting (in-person and Zoom) at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 8441 N Indian Trail Rd – 99208 This seminar promises to be packed full of great information! And the First Annual EWGS Silent Auction
(plan to bring your checkbook)
Speaker Paula Stuart-Warren: “Minnesota Genealogical Research: Exceptional Resources”
Speaker Thomas Neel: “Tracing Family History in Ohio”
Speaker Sheri Snodgrass: “The Land Between The Rivers” Iowa
Hybrid Meeting at Shadle Park Library, Spokane, WA
Continuing our Heritage from the Heartland Series: Michigan
Genealogy Research in the Great Lakes State
Guest Speaker: Jessica Trotter
From Indigenous peoples, to France, to Britain, to a state now filled with “Yoopers” and “Trolls”
Michigan has been a destination and pass through state for a large swath of travelers and immigrants. This presentation will offer a quick geography and history lesson and a detailed
discussion on researching Michigan genealogy.
Social time at 12:30 P.M. meeting begins at 1:00 p.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m.
Hybrid Meeting (Zoom and In-Person) at Shadle Park Library, Spokane, WA
The handout for this presentation is already posted on the website…be sure you print it out before you get there.
Don’t miss the Cookies, the Raffles, and the Great Company!
If you join us by Zoom be sure to wave!
“Genealogy and the Wisconsin Historical Society”
Presented by Lori Bessler
Reference Librarian and Instructor of local and family history
Lori Bessler has worked at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library Archives since 1988. She is a Reference Librarian and instructor in local and family history. Lori has lectured throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest on genealogical topics for over 30 years and has been researching family history for over 45 years. She specializes in breaking down brick walls and finding hard-to-find resources.
Zoom login will be on the EWGS website about a day before the meeting.
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.
