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Barb and Bob, Ted and Lola

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In honor of Women's History Month and each of the brave, generous, tenacious women described:  Barb and Bob, Ted and Lola: Loss, war, love and enduring friendship .   The story begins at the meeting place: 4711 Meridian Avenue, Seattle .  4711 Meridian Avenue, Seattle, Courtesy of Google Maps Four families and a l egacy of connection What seems like chance—the convergence of four young lives in one small house in Seattle—created bonds that would last lifetimes. The story of Bob and Barb, Ted and Lola reminds us how seemingly random moments can shape generations, including the author's very existence. The Meeting Place: 4711 Meridian  The story begins in a modest house in Seattle, owned by Mary Shutt, a woman who had already weathered more than her share of grief. Living with her was her daughter Barbara Jean, known to everyone as "Barb," a bright Lincoln High student with her whole life ahead of her. The Foundation: Mary's Journey Mary Reese was born in Indiana i...

Capture Those Family Stories

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Generated by CoPilot 16 March 2025 Why Preserve Stories? Have you ever casually said, “when I did . ..” and your children looked at you and said, “Huh? you did what?”  When this happens to you, it is time to record the story. Thirty or 100 years from now, that story will mean much more to your descendants than any family tree you create. Inland Empire Students at Music Sessions, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, 24 July 1949, p. 24, col. 2-3. If you think, “Someday, I will write a family history,” but you go right back to researching the marriage date of third Cousin Mary Missing, within five minutes the incident will have flitted from your mind. Kevin Kelly admonishes us to write down the idea within five minutes before it is gone. My list of experiences, events, and incidents is getting really long, so I have decided to get started so that my descendants will have SOMETHING. The summer of 1949, my mother attended a short course at the University of Washington to prepare her ...

The Salford Sioux Book Review

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Book Jacket from Amazon  November, 1896  Salford, England On a very cold day in industrial Salford, England, Harold became the newest resident of the local workhouse.  His wife and children had gone home to her family until Harold could find work to support his family.     'So, what's your story, mate? Why are you in here?'        'It's a long story.'      'I'm sure it is, but we've got a long time.' . . . 'We likes a good story, mate. So what's yours?'      For a second, a memory of his grandfather sitting round a fire telling his stories of  t he past came back to him.  Maybe it was time to tell what had happened and why he was here.      The scent of the tobacco helped him decide.     'I was born in the Moon when Trees Crack with the Cold, or what you would call February in Salford. . .' 1 March, 2024 Manchester England Martin and Isobel Walker are brother and siste...

Better Than Bingo

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Slot Machine by Bing Image Creator 26 Feb 2025 Reassessment This year I've taken on a "52 Ancestors" project , where I'm creating a research report for my 52 closest ancestors in ahnentafel order. Well, it's only the beginning of March, and I'm already behind. On the other hand, while catching up, I noticed an anomaly on my great-grandmother Annie McPherson Cowan's FamilySearch profile ; she had parents reported there with names close to her actual parents' but upon checking the sources, it became obvious that someone had attached her to the wrong parents.  Check Your Lineages* L ots of people are using the FamilySearch Family Tree right now since RootsTech Relatives has been activated through 11 April 2025, so I wanted to be sure to get this fixed right away.  My first step was to leave a note in the Collaborate section after checking the connected records. Evidently I had not filled out great-grandmother Annie's tree on FamilySearch very well ...

No More Research Girdles: Expanding Your Family History Horizons with RootsTech

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Photo by genibee,  CC BY-NC 2.0 Have you ever had an old memory surface at the oddest time? I was in the dental chair having an implant screwed into my jaw, and there was so much pressure! When they were doing something else, I said, this feels just like the first time I ever put on a girdle. I was giggling about it, and nudged the assistant, and said, you know what I'm talking about! She was giggling too, and then she said to the doctor, you do NOT know, but ask your wife! The silliest thing about it was that I was in seventh grade! Who needs a girdle ever, much less in seventh grade? It was not about the boys; they never looked at us then. And really, we all thought the other girls were noticing, but I think all of us just wanted to fit in. For the record, let me just say that while I can't recall the last time I squeezed myself into a girdle, I do not miss that pressure one bit! Why mention this weird old memory? Well, it paints a picture of adolescent life before pantyhos...

Nominations are Open!

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Our Member-at-Large announced Saturday Nominations for SKCGS President and Treasurer are open . We would be pleased to get applications soon. Write to  Member-at-Large@skcgs.org  so the discussion and support can begin.  The team encourages all SKCGS Members to consider what you want from your Board of Directors, to send us your suggested candidates and consider applying yourselves.   Your Board of directors appreciates volunteers and will support new nominees as they get to know the Board members and the outlines of their prospective positions. South King County Genealogical Society President The President has a vital role in leading and guiding the organization to achieve its mission and goals . South King County Genealogical Society wants a President who:  Provides overall leadership and vision for the organization, ensuring that it remains focused on its mission and long-term objectives.  Inspires and motivates the board, volunteers, and stakeholders Wo...

Heads Up: New Bylaws Being Proposed

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Greetings, all.    Some years ago, we met at a fun Special Meeting at the Black Diamond Library to adopt new Bylaws for the South King County Genealogical Society. These were the result of months of hard work, reading, writing, and consulting with others about how to help our Society work more smoothly. For the most part, we've been happy with the outcome, although virtual meetings have no Black Diamond Bakery cookies 🍪. Updated  Revised Code of Washington The State of Washington updated the section of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) governing non-profits a couple of years ago, and our bylaws have not yet fully incorporated these updates.   While reviewing our governing documents, we have also come up with changes we think will make it easier to recruit leadership  and streamline the way things work for all Members . First, the Board has now adopted a few small changes in the Standing Rules , and new policies about conflicts of interest and records re...