Have you ever had this experience? You've recently learned about something you previously knew nothing about, and then someone asks a question about exactly this subject? I find this happening all the time, and love it. The  Black Genealogy Research Group of Seattle  recently gathered information about an ex-slave, Mary Jane Green of Everett, Washington, for a program. In an effort to gather more information, contacts and help with this research, a Wikitree profile was created for her.  I soon found that there is a project within Wikitree helping gather information about enslaved people in the US, using sources such as deeds, wills, business receipts, ledgers, even letters and oral testimony, called the US Black Heritage Project . I joined it, since I have other ex-slaves and at least one slave-owner to research.  Then there was another connection. In the International Society of Genetic Genealogists  (ISOGG)  online group , there was a discussion of ...

  Larry Strobel with Jan Gammel in basket June 1949 Ralph Strobel and MaryLynn Gammel photobombing in window If you have been around me at SKCGS for very long, you have probably heard me tell about a member of my family who asks those innocent questions I should be able to answer at a moment's notice--my Cousin Larry. You also have heard me suggest that every genealogist needs a "Cousin Larry" because his questions often lead to challenging research and opportunities to learn lots of new stuff. The answer to Aunt Minnie's burial question took about three months with searches at the newly opened Washington State Digital Archives and assistance from a member of Eastern Washington Genealogical Society in Spokane and her persistent calls to the funeral home.  Great Aunt Minnie's cremains were still in the vault, after 48 1/2 years!  Final disposition of Great Aunt Minnie is a story for another day. Larry's question about a newly married couples' "honeymo...

  Where is your DNA?  I don't mean in your genes; I mean where have you tested and/or uploaded your raw data files?   Have you looked at your profile lately?  Testing companies are making changes to their platforms, refining features and adding new ones. FtDNA July 1, 2021, Family Tree DNA rolled out several changes to their site.  There is a new look to the Family Finder match page, designed to make easier searching, sorting and filtering your matches.   FtDNA reports that they have made several adjustments to the matching algorithm for more accurately predicted relationship ranges. There is a new Help Button and, coming soon, is a Chromosome Painter.  Check out the features at the site below. Updates To Matches & Chromosome Painter | FamilyTreeDNA Blog When I received the email notice of these changes I immediately thought of doing this blog.  Then the next day I saw that it was the topic for a blog written by Judy G. Russell, the ...

Cover page of Rick's Memorial program I recently lost my brother-in-law to covid which caused a heart attack. It is still painful in the week after the burial and the memorial service, however I've realized how much joy and sorrow can exist together, especially in someone who does genealogy as a means of family history. Of course the hugging and tears help too, and the phone calls, swapping stories, laughing and crying over the shared photos. There is a wonder to it all, as people on Rick's side of the family, no kin to me except by marriage and the shared love we have for my sister's children, grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, when the barriers come down in shared grief. It is suddenly ok to walk up to people whom you barely know, and hug and cry together, when this is really not the case at other times, at least in my family. And because I do genealogy, I know (or can figure out) who all these people are, how they are related to one another, and so, what th...

  Look around you, it's summer and flowers are blooming everywhere.  Some of those flowers have some fascinating stories. From Wyoming The other day I was preparing a presentation for Understanding Migration.  We, as genealogists, think of Migration as our ancestors, after arriving from their homeland in search of a new life, crossing the country from the East coast to areas across our country.  In my search I had found migrating animals and plants, not exactly what I was looking for; I was thinking more like wagon trains. Then a couple days later I was on a virtual meeting with members of the South King County Genealogy Society when we were asked to turn in stories of flowers for the Societies Blog. Of course, flowers , just read about plant migration in my research for the presentation.  “I have a Migrating Rose” Well, here’s the story.  We lived in Casper, Wyoming in 1961. My husband, Norv, worked for Supreme Bakers and delivered crackers and co...

  Tucked away on the second floor of this unimposing building at 730 S 225 th Street in downtown Des Moines, WA,   is a treasure trove of South King County History. Historical Background It is believed that the Duwamish and Muckleshoot Native American peoples came to the present location of Des Moines to dig clams and spear salmon for their winter food supply, but that they did not have permanent camps at this location.  Captain George Vancouver passed by on May 26, 1792.  The next recorded discovery was made by explorers for the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1824. [1]  The Wilkes Expedition charted the coastline in the vicinity of the present site of Des Moines May 18, 1841. [2] The First Settlers John Moore probably arrived in the present location of Des Moines late in 1863, however, he failed to file for his Homestead Patent five years later. By mid-1872, he had filed and received his Patent.  It is thought that he was born about 1831 in Ireland and...

Greetings! This is my first blog post as President of the South King County Genealogical Society. I'm so honored that the Members entrusted this office to me. But let me share a secret with you: I made up my own job. I did the same with my previous job with SKCGS, as Vice President and before that, leading the new Publicity team.  Make Your Own Job As I've aged, I adopted this tactic more and more, and I will tell you, it's great! For one thing, you know yourself better than anyone else does, and so when you create your own job description, it fits you well. It is a wonderful way to be effective and collaborate with others who share your values and enthusiasms. Most of all, you can choose to do the things that make you happy, and work with those who are happy in their work as well. It is the best of all possible worlds. Freedom and Happiness When I read our SKCGS  Bylaws and Standing Rules , I saw in those job descriptions a lot of latitude to fill the some of the needs of...