Tag Archives: Eastern Washington Genealogical Society

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society November Seminar Venue Change

by Charles Hansen

 

The Seminar with Dave Obee on Canadian Genealogy is scheduled at Saturday morning (registration 8:30-9:00 am). The location has changed due to unforeseen conflicts. The all day seminar will be held at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church located at 8441 N Indian Trail Road in Spokane. There is plenty of parking available at this location when you arrive.
Lunch will be included for everyone who has registered. A mixed group of sandwiches has been ordered for you that registered afterr the October 15 cut off for the free lunch. So we all will receive “free lunch” for this event.
To emphasize. . . the Saturday seminar on Canadian Genealogy is being held at the announced time but the place has changed to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church located at 8441 N Indian Trail Road. I for one am really looking forward to learning from Mr. Obee and we hope everyone finds us at the new location.
Sincerely,
John Wilson
     EWGS Web Manager

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society November Canadian Seminar

by Charles Hansen

Saturday, November 3 through Saturday, November 3
Canadian Research  (Seminar)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Country Homes Christian Church, 8415 N Wall, Spokane, WA
Genealogical research in the Pacific Northwest often leads to cross-border connections, because our relatives seemed to think that the grass was greener on the other side. Or maybe it was love, or economic opportunities.
Presenter Dave Obee  —  a Canadian journalist and genealogical researcher, will give five presentations on researching your Canadian connections.
Syllabuses: (click on the link to download the pdf syllabus)
Dave has written a dozen books and given more than 600 presentations at conferences and seminars in Canada, the United States and Australia since 1997. He is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the Times Colonist in Victoria, British Columbia.

In 2012 Dave was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws by the University of Victoria for his work as a historian, genealogist and journalist. In 2017 Dave was awarded the annual Bill Good award, which recognizes a B.C. journalist, leader or educator who has made a significant impact in journalism and in the community at large.

He is a member of the board of Canada’s History Society, and is a member of the services consultation committee at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa.

Dave is a columnist for two magazines, Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today. He is the author of Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census, and Destination Canada: A Genealogical Guide to Immigration Records. Dave is also the co-author (with Sherry Irvine) of Finding Your Canadian Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide, published by Ancestry in 2007.

Dave’s talk in Spokane will deal with immigration, the census, war records, Internet resources and more. While in Spokane Dave plans to do more research into his family connections here – connections that he will include in his talks.

ADMISSION: $20 Members  $25  for non members
NO Lunch will be provided for REGISTRATION after October 15th.  Sorry, NO REFUNDS!
 
For mail-in registration form Click here
Free lunch is no longer included but registration fee is still required.
You can register NOW online.  Time is past for the free lunch menu but the registration fee is still required.

Eastern Washington Genealogy Society October Meeting

by Charles Hansen

 

What's New at Family Search?

Saturday, October 6
What’s New at Family Search?  (EWGS Meetings)
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Spokane Public Library Auditorium, Downtown Spokane
Presenter –  Donna Potter Phillips
Donna will tell us what is happening and what is new with Family Search. This website is evolving daily!!
Donna Potter Phillips has been a member of EWGS since 1976; twice president; now vice-president of WSGS; has given presentations to societies all over the northwest, her passion is genealogy 100%!  She helps her dachshund, TIka, with her Tika Thinks page on Facebook.
Cookies & Social Time: 12:30 PM
Meeting starts at 1:00 PM

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society November Seminar

by Charles Hansen

 

Canadian Research
Saturday, November 3
Canadian Research  (Seminar)
Country Homes Christian Church, 8415 N Wall, Spokane, WA

Genealogical research in the Pacific Northwest often leads to cross-border connections, because our relatives seemed to think that the grass was greener on the other side. Or maybe it was love, or economic opportunities.

Presenter Dave Obee  —  a Canadian journalist and genealogical researcher, will give five presentations on researching your Canadian connections.

Dave has written a dozen books and given more than 600 presentations at conferences and seminars in Canada, the United States and Australia since 1997. He is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the Times Colonist in Victoria, British Columbia.

In 2012 Dave was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws by the University of Victoria for his work as a historian, genealogist and journalist. In 2017 Dave was awarded the annual Bill Good award, which recognizes a B.C. journalist, leader or educator who has made a significant impact in journalism and in the community at large.

He is a member of the board of Canada’s History Society, and is a member of the services consultation committee at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa.

Dave is a columnist for two magazines, Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today. He is the author of Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census, and Destination Canada: A Genealogical Guide to Immigration Records. Dave is also the co-author (with Sherry Irvine) of Finding Your Canadian Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide, published by Ancestry in 2007.

Dave’s talks in Spokane will deal with immigration, the census, war records, Internet resources and more. While in Spokane Dave plans to do more research into his family connections here – connections that he will include in his talks.

ADMISSION: $20 Members  $25  for non members
Lunch will be provided for PRE-REGISTERED guests.  Sorry, NO REFUNDS!
PRE REGISTER BY OCTOBER 15, 2018
NOTE: Mail in Registration form will be soon be available.  Please check back.
You can register NOW online.  Don’t forget to select your choice of sandwich when you register.  Use the pull-down menu to select from a beef, ham or turkey sandwich.
Preregister Here by October 15th https://ewgsi.org/eventListings.php?nm=283

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society September Meeting

by Charles Hansen

 

Saturday, September 8
Information about our various user groups  (EWGS Meetings)
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Spokane Public Library Auditorium, Downtown Spokane
Presenters – leaders of the following groups:
The Genealogy Refocus Group is an ongoing educational workshop for everyone who does genealogy, whether beginner or experienced. The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month at the Shadle Park Library, 2111 W Wellesley Ave from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM. The group is focusing on the best practices for the organization of files and record keeping, research and analysis of findings, and using new technologies and internet tools that assist in research efforts.
Contact Sonji Ruttan:  sunlugen@gmail.com
The RootsMagic User Group meets the third Monday of each month to learn how to use the RootsMagic software to organize genealogy data in a way that each person finds useful. They discuss ways to attach digital images to ancestors and record information in a way that will help find out more about families. They also learn how to make information available in reports and charts that can be shared with others.
Contact John Wilson: wilsonjb@gmail.com
The Valley Clan Diggers meets at a varying time each month. This group meets in different members’ home to share their genealogical pursuits. The purpose and goals of the group are to share current projects, help each other with ancestral “dead ends” car-pool to workshops and take occasional field trips.
Contact Alice Hostetter for further information: (509) 928-4198
The Ancestry Group (TAG) meets the second Thursday of each month from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the Shadle Park Library, 2111 W Wellesley Ave. TAG is a forum for all things Ancestry.com.  Ancestry is always changing and the group is able to share these changes.  There is no single “expert” to present and answer all questions.  If someone in the group is unable to answer a question, another member might look it up on their laptop.  The terms “shaky leaf”, “DNA”, “collaboration”, and “member profile” are common to all. Since Ancestry continues to make changes, the TAG group always has something new to learn. So the next time you see an ad on television about Ancestry or have subscribed to Ancestry.com and want more information, consider attending the FREE TAG meetings.
Contact Marge Mero: margemero@yahoo.com
Further information about these groups can be found on our website ewgsi.org under the heading “Local User Group Meetings.”
Cookies & Social Time: 12:30 PM
Meeting starts at 1:00 PM

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society June Meeting

by Charles Hansen

 

 

Memoir Writing

Saturday, June 2
Memoir Writing  (EWGS Meetings)
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Spokane Public Library Auditorium, Downtown Spokane
Presenter – Donna Lee Anderson.
SHOULD YOU WRITE YOUR MEMOIRS? The answer is YES! Donna Lee Anderson will discuss ways to organize your stories & keep them organized, what to write, how to write it, what to include in your stories & how important it is to include names, dates, ages, and even conversations.  She will also help you choose topics to write about.
 Donna Lee Anderson has been writing for many years. She writes children’s books, mysteries and romantic novels, and a how-to book for writer’s called Necessary Words for Writers which explains those words used in the publishing world that the new author may not know or understand.
Donna writes a weekly column for Sound Publishing called BOOK ENDS about authors, books, literary happenings around the area, and teaches writing. Some of her classes are: “Should you write your memoirs? The answer is yes!” and “You have the idea, now what?” Both are writer’s classes on how to get organized, getting those first words on paper, and then information on structure, lengths for specific genre’s, character development, etc.
She has published four books and is working on a mystery that she hopes will be out this year.
Cookies & Social Time: 12:30 PM
Meeting starts at 1:00 PM

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society May Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Saturday, May 5
The 1883 Gold Rush – The Inland Northwest’s Best Kept Secret  (EWGS Meetings)
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Spokane Public Library Auditorium, Downtown Spokane
 
Presenters – Tony and Suzanne Bamonte.
Tony and Suzanne Bamonte will be speaking on the 1883 gold rush, which drew thousands of fortune seekers to the confluence of Prichard and Eagle creeks in the remote Coeur d’Alene National Forest of northern Idaho. The gold seekers were met with excitement, disappointment, success, and failure, but the impact of the gold rush extended far beyond the initial hysteria. It marked the origin of the internationally renowned Coeur d’Alene Mining District (known locally as the Silver Valley), the mineral wealth from which became the economic backbone of the Inland Northwest. The initial impact transformed Spokane from a barely surviving to a thriving community, whose population simply exploded. It also gave rise to other Inland Northwest towns and supporting industries. We will touch on some of the people who brought their newfound wealth from the Silver Valley to Spokane and built numerous mansions and stately commercial buildings that still exist today. The program will include historical images to help tell the story.
Cookies & Social Time: 12:30 PM
Meeting starts at 1:00 PM

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Spring Seminar

by Charles Hansen

Saturday, April 7
Washington State & National Archives research  (Seminar)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Country Homes Christian Church, 8415 North Wall St., Spokane WA
Presenter – Lee Pierce – Tips, Tricks and Techniques – Washington State Digital Archives Research and Resources.
Lee Pierce a Washingtonian, born and raised in the Seattle area, but moved here in 1994 to attend Eastern Washington University. He earned a BA in history and an MA in American history with an emphasis on Military history in the modern era. He has written and published two novels, and has a third on the way. He is also a member of the Cheney Historic Preservation Commission.
Presenter – Carol Buswell – her presentation will address the following topics:
1) Using the National Archives Online Catalog and DocsTeach.org to place your ancestory in historical context and lead you to more primary sources for your ancestors.
2) Using and conbtributing to the National Archives’ Citizen Archivist program.
3) Special NEW National Archives’ approaches for finding records about Native Americans.
Carol Apperson Buswell has a long background in education, public speaking and writing, particularly about United States, Native American and Family History. She has been the Education Specialist for the National Archives at Seattle since 2005. She holds degrees in Elementary Education, Fine Arts, and American Indian Studies. Her most recent publications include “Primary Sources for American Indian Research,” and “Exploring Your Own Community.”  (http://honoringtriballegacies.com) 2015
The schedule is as follows:
Doors open 8:00 AM
Registration 8:15AM – 9:00 AM
General Meeting 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Lee Pierce, Washington State Archives part 1 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Break 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Lee Pierce, Washington State Archives part 2 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
Lunch Break 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM (Board meeting 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM)
Carol Buswell, Seattle Branch National Archives part 1 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Break 2:15 PM – 2:30 PM
Carol Buswell, Seattle Branch National Archives part 2 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Questions 3:30 PM —
Online registration will close at 8:00 PM March 31st 2018. After that date registration will be taken on the day of the seminar at the door.
The fee for this seminar is as follows:
Members $20 US,  Non members $25 US.
For lunch we will have our favorite – pot luck!  Using the first letter of your last name we ask you to bring one of the following:
A – E   Main Dish                         F – I   Salad of your choice
J – M   Desert of your choice       N – R   Cookies
S – Z   Appetizers

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society March Meeting

by Charles Hansen

 

Saturday, March 3
Free Websites at Family History Centers  (EWGS Meetings)
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Spokane Public Library Auditorium, Downtown Spokane
Presenter – Susan Dechant
“Did you say FREE? Free websites at Family History Centers
Our local Family History Centers have over a dozen FREE websites that anyone can access from one of their Centers. Susan will share those websites with tips and tricks for using them.
Susan became interested in researching her family history when she met her in-laws for the first time back in 1972. The genealogy bug immediately bit her and she has been involved in various aspects of this fascinating hobby ever since. She founded the Northeast Washington Genealogy Society in 1981 and has served as an officer almost every year since then. She is currently the webmaster for NeWGS, a researcher for the society, and teaches classes. She is also a longtime member of EWGS.
Cookies & Social Time: 12:30 PM
Meeting starts at 1:00 PM
To obtain the handout for this presentation please click on the link below:
Download: Handout for this presentation

Barbara Jolly Awarded 2017 Outstanding Volunteer Honor

by Roxanne Lowe

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 500 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 2017 award recipients and learn why they received the 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Barbara Jolly

Today we’re introducing Barbara Freese Jolly of Ritzville, Washington, who was nominated by the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (EWGS). She was recognized for her organizational skills in providing value-added educational programs at EWGS meetings and conferences.

Ms. Jolly has been the program chair for a few years. The position has always been difficult to fill with the right person – someone who is organized, committed to following-through and able to find just the right presenter. But Ms. Jolly fits the bill. Although she lives more than 60 miles from Spokane, she has made numerous trips to Spokane checking out venues for meetings and conferences.

While the EWGS board determines the meeting programs, it is up to the program chair to contact the speakers, arrange the venues and vendors and make sure the speaker has everything needed for the programs. Since Ms. Jolly has been program chair all the meetings and conferences have run smoothly – thanks to her attention to the details.

Ms. Jolly’s dedication and commitment to the smooth operations of EWGS illustrate that she richly deserved being a recipient of a 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Roxanne Lowe, Interim Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.