A suggested topic for this blog was A Favorite Tool for Research We received a couple of replies which have spurred conversations from our editors.  We hope more of you will submit your favorite tools. From Deborah Wigen-Noble:    My “tool” right now is webinars. The speaker/presenter, the chat (gleaning all kinds of ideas and suggestions from others watching), and the opportunity to ask and have my questions answered - this often leads to more questions . -  Debbi From Annette Weiss:  DNA is my tool ... can't beat the accuracy! I've been able to connect with a long-lost branch of my daily tree, adding over 100 descendants in the past 2 years. - Annette From Kathleen Hanzeli:  This probably sounds silly, but last week, when I was in Boston, I chose to travel light, meaning I left my big camera at home.  I did take my Magic Wand Scanner but it never came out of my bag. Instead, I used my iPhone to scan (the scanning app associated with Evernote) an...

In October of 2020, a series of posts in the South King County Genealogical Society Groups mentioned the Ravensdale Cemetery.  Some photos were posted and it got my attention. It was clear that the old cemetery was sorely neglected. It had been vandalized in the 1950’s and stones had been encased by ground cover and other underbrush. I visited the cemetery for the first time, with my husband, on Saturday, 7 November 2020.  Its state was, to say the least, sad. There was evidence that people had been there. The paths were a bit trampled and burned down candles and an empty packet of cigarettes were sitting on the side of a broken and open sarcophagus. In spite of the fact that someone up to no good had recently been there, it was a peaceful place. Restoration? I was hooked.  Two days prior to my visit, I had made the suggestion to the group that restoring the cemetery might be a good project for SKCGS and I presented a hurriedly composed proposal to the Board. I was given...

by Katie Hanzeli I’m sure you’ve heard more than you want of pandemic news.  That said, see my previous blog .  Did anyone note the timing of my missing marriage record?  Actually, I may not have given it, a huge oversight on my part!  Miscellaneous records pinpoint the date to somewhere between September 1918 and August 1919. What happened during that time?  You guessed it - the Spanish ‘Flu Pandemic, which was caused by the H1N1 influenza virus, which also caused problems in 2009.  They called it  the “grippe” in 1918 and the “Swine ‘Flu” in 2009.  We are encouraged to not just gather dates and hard facts about events in our ancestors’ lives.  We should be understanding the times and places in which they lived.  For me and my marriage record, that means understanding the impact of the Spanish ‘Flu Pandemic on the citizens of Boston, which is where it appears the marriage took place. Here are some of the basic...

Needpix.com  T h is is the time of year when we think about the sacrifices our ancestors made coming to a new land seeking a better life for themselves and their unknown descendants.   Many of them braved perilous voyages over rough seas in tiny ships seeking religious freedom.   One hundred and fifty years later, their grandsons fought in the Revolutionary War for the right of self-government.   As genealogists, we have the privilege of gathering their stories and preserving them for our descendants.   I hope you will share their stories as you gather with your family this month.   On October 5, Katie Hanzeli, Marilyn Schunke and I attended the Seattle Genealogical Society’s Fall Seminar featuring Dr. Thomas W. Jones.   The topic of the Seminar was “Creating Credible Conclusions While Circumnavigating Walls”, learning how to forge innovative paths around research brick walls with confidence and ethics.   Learning from Dr. Jones is like...

SOCIETY ACTIVITIES The September General Meeting featured the presentation of a Washington State Genealogical Society Outstanding Volunteer award to our long-time member, Katie Hanzeli.  The award highlighted the many areas in which she has served and continues to serve SKCGS.  Lori Lee Sauber presented a method of organizing genealogical research using project management methodology.   The advantage of this method of organization is that it is easily customized to meet the needs of any researcher.   She urged using a version of this method to avoid “abandoned” genealogy projects   It also helps keep the researcher on track to complete a project by a self-imposed or outside imposed deadline.   As a result of her presentation, I have revisited Trello.   It is easy to set up the project board. You receive positive reinforcement when you move the task card to the “Completed” column. We welcomed one returning member, Pat Noecker, and three ...

by Kathleen MacLeod Hanzeli What do Alec Baldwin and his brothers, Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Bush, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Chevy Chase, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Christopher Lloyd, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Sarah Palin, Edith Roosevelt (Mrs. Theodore), Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lillian Russell, Joseph Smith and Dr. Benjamin Spock have in common?  They all descend from the same ancestor who landed on these shores on 6 September 1620, on the bark Mayflower.  Most of us can claim descent from a Mayflower traveler, but the above person is unique and I didn’t know he existed until one day recently, my eleven year old grandson said to me, “Nana, my friend from school’s ancestor fell off of the Mayflower!” My first instinct was to respond, “What?  No one fell off the Mayflower.  If he had, he’d be dead and have no descendants.”  But with a little research, I discovered that the story was true, and my grandson can claim a good friend as a descendent amo...

6 November 2018 The meeting of the South King County Genealogical Society’s Board of Directors was held on 6 November 2018. Minutes from the October Board meeting and the October General Membership meeting were approved.  Financial statements were submitted by the Treasurer. Committees submitting reports included Blog, Bylaws, Circulating Library, Library Volunteers, Library GenHelp Desk, Membership, Programs, Publicity and Website. Interest Groups submitting reports included Family Tree Maker, Research and Technology User’s Group. Each Board member was asked to bring an idea about how to improve our membership and membership participation.  Ideas included: Contact individually the visitors to the GenHelp Desk when you are staffing. Keep the website up to date. Sending the found stuff to the person who requested it. Report our events to other societies. Post information on the Bulletin Board at the Family History Centers. Emails to members about meeting...

By Michelle Lyons and Katie Hanzeli In October Katie Hanzeli & Michelle Lyons travelled to Boston to attend the Fall Research Getaway of the New England Historical & Genealogical Society. This research facility holds an enormous amount of material, covering seven floors, over 30,000 family histories, manuscripts, books, etc. - literally millions of records, covering not only New England but worldwide.                                                                                     In advance of our trip, NEHGS offered an hour-long webinar on preparing to do research at their facility.  It was essential viewing to make the best use of your time.  Also, prior to the workshop, participants were asked to write down information on the famil...

  by Katie Hanzeli “If it wasn’t for coal, there never would have been a Black Diamond, Washington.” 1 About 1885, the Black Diamond Coal Company of California sent Morgan Morgan, their superintendent and Mr. P. B. Cornwall, the company’s president up North to check out the prospect of moving its entire operation from Nortonville to what is now Black Diamond, Washington. Coal, good quality coal, had been discovered in Newcastle, just North of there and explorations showed that even more was to be had. Morgan and Cornwall liked what they saw. The mostly Welsh and some Italian employees, their families and all the equipment were packed up, lock, stock and barrel, and moved to Washington. Even before coal became king, there were homesteaders nearby, who had to go to Seattle via Covington to get supplies. Everything else they grew themselves, including tobacco. 2 They had been settled in the area since the early 1870’s. Welsh, Italians, Slovenians, British and other national...