PS-APG Chapter News
NOTE: Please be advised that the links below may become obsolete and you may get one that does not work, for things such as the brochures or flyers for a conference. Also remember that websites change, so keep that in mind when reading the older news blips. If you would like a copy of a document which is no longer available on our website, please request it from the PS-APG Webmaster.
**********
The PS-APG Chapter gathered at the Heritage Quest Research Library in Sumner on June 13, 2015 for their business meeting. Again it was a great meeting with lots of plans and ideas for the future of the chapter. Claudia Breland presented: The Nuts and Bolts of Self-Publishing. She had examples of her published books and how she used a variety of websites to prepare the books for launching. Jill and Steven shared their experiences with self-publishing with examples of their books as well.
**********
PS-APG gathered on December 13, 2014 at the National Archives in Seattle (NARA) and had a great meeting and Holiday party. Elections were held and Jim Johnson has taken on the role of PS-APG President, Jill Morelli will be our new Chapter Representative, Dave Liesse will continue as Treasurer, while Trish Nicola and Bonnie Jean MacDonald will co-chair the Programs for the coming year. The meeting was well attended and there will be four new members and we had several guests as well.
A thanks to Eric Stroschein outgoing President and Steven Morrison outgoing Chapter Representative for their service to PS-APG.
(Photo by Trish Nicola)
**********
PS-APG members attended the Summer Fest, hosted by the Genealogical Council of Oregon and the Oregon Chapter of the APG on August 2, 2014 in Eugene, Oregon. Those in attendance from PS-APG were Steven W. Morrison, Chapter Representative, Eric Stroschein, President, Jim Johnson, Membership Chair, Winona Laird, Program Coordinator and Janet Camarata Speakers Forum.
**********
PS-APG held its annual Holiday meeting on December 14, 2013. The meeting was well attended with a
lot of great sharing. Winona Laird kept us on track with the discussion about writing a business plan.
Front row, left to right:
Bonnie Jean MacDonald, Janice Blackhurst, Winona Laird, Jill Morelli, and Claudia Breland, Trish Hacket Nicola.
(Photo by B.J. MacDonald)
**********
On November 2, 2013, the Family History Fair took place at the Bellevue Stake. It was a good turn out. PS-APG was there with their table and we had a great group of people stopping by and chatting. Steven W. Morrison and Alan McCool helped out with the table. Claudia Breland gave a lecture on DNA. Janice Blackhurst gave three lectures covering probates, naturalization and Hispanic research. As Historian and WSGS Newsletter Editor, Bonnie J. MacDonald shared part of the PS-APG table with WSGS (Washington State Genealogical Society). There were a few flickers of light and there was concern the power would go out but we made it through. It was another great Family History Fair.
**********
PS-APG gathered for the August, 2013 business meeting at the home of the Program Coordinator, Winona Laird, for a potluck and a discussion about marketing for your genealogy business. Lots was discussed and the food was delicious. Thank you Winona! There were 12 people attending this meeting, so it was not all of our members, but a really good turn out.
Dave Liesse.
Next row: Jill Morelli, Trish Hackett Nicola, Jean Yager, Bonnie Jean MacDonald, Lois Gumz-Calisal,
our host Winona Laird and honorary member-Prissy.
**********
(Photos by B.J.
MacDonald)
**********
On 9 May 2013, PS-APG member, Trish Hackett Nicola, CG, presented "Chinese
Exclusion Act: A Genealogical Goldmine" at the National Genealogical Society 2013 Family
History Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. [Cameras weren't allowed during the presentation
so this photo was taken before her talk got started.]
Janice is a member of APG and lives in the Puget Sound area. [Photos submitted by Trish Hackett
Nicola, CG]
**********
PS-APG was there at the April 6, 2013 Spring Seminar hosted by the Olympia Genealogical
Society, held at the Phoenix Inn Suites in Olympia, WA. The guest and featured speaker was
Thomas MacEntee of High Definition Genealogy. The seminar theme was “Tools for the 21st
Century.” Mr. MacEntee gave four lectures: “10 Ways to Jumpstart your Genealogy,
Building a Research Toolbox, They’re Alive, Searching for Living Relatives, and Creating a
Family History Workspace.”
Click here for the link to the seminar information and brochure.
PS-APG members present were Bonnie Jean MacDonald, PS-APG Historian, and Janet Camarata, PS-APG member. The day was spent chatting with people passing by the PS-APG table, saying hello to Washington State Genealogy Society (WSGS) past and present board members an absorbing a lot of information given in the lectures. Steven Morrison, PS-APG Secretary, stopped by for a few minutes to take care of OGS business and Jim Johnson, PS-APG Membership Chair, was there selling books from Heritage Quest Research Library. Some of you will know Mr. MacEntee from GeneaBloggers, another of his many projects. Congratulations to the Olympia Genealogical Society for a great seminar. Click here for Mr. MacEntee’s APG information.
(Photos by B.J. MacDonald)
**********
PS-APG and SKCGS (South King County Genealogical Society) co-sponsored a Spring Seminar at the Kent Baptist Church on Saturday, March 16, 2013. Eric Stroschein, President of PS-APG, gave the keynote speech “Who Do You Think You Might Be?” and several lectures through the day: “Rooting out the Stories: Using a Reasonably Exhaustive Search to Find Your Family,” and “Is Your Family Story, True, False, or Something in Between?” Steven Morrison, PS-APG Secretary, also presented “Introduction to Sources,” and “Conflicting Sources – Now What do I do?” Trish Hackett Nicola CG, past President of PS-APG and current Chapter Representative, shared “Rebecca Lena Graham’s Fight for Her Inheritance.” Winona Laird, President of SKCGS and PS-APG Program Coordinator also helped us to understand Scottish records with her presentation “Across the Pond to Scotland.” Becky Hanich from the LDS Church shared her knowledge on how to use Familysearch.org and the new Family Tree. PS-APG had a conference table and we gained two new members that day. A thank you to Winona for being the inspiration for this co-sponsored event.
(Photos by B.J. MacDonald)
**********
& other members
PS-APG held their first business meeting for 2013. The meeting was very busy and well
attended by PS-APGer's and guests. New President Eric Stroschein had many ideas and plans
for PS-APG. Winona Laird, Program Chair, announced that PS-APG and South King County
Genealogical Society will co-sponsor a Spring Seminar on March 16, 2013. David Liesse,
PS-APG Treasurer presented Tax Considerations When Forming a Business. It was a great
meeting.
**********
business entities
On Saturday, December 8, 2012 PS-APG members gathered for their business meeting and
Holiday Celebration. It was also a special celebration because PS-APG is 10 years old.
The Chapter was established on August 14, 2002 by five genealogists. PS-APG Member, Chapter
Representative and past President Trish Hackett Nicola CG was the initial force that
prompted the submission of the application for a chapter. She wrote a paragraph about
the beginning of the chapter and Historian and Past President Bonnie Jean MacDonald
shared highlights.PS-APG President Alan McCool lighted the candles and cut the cake.
Everyone cheered and clapped. Eric Stroschin, Winona Laird, and Steven Morrison gave a
PowerPoint presentation on their findings on the idea of having a Northwest Genealogical
Conference/Institute in this area. They provided a several page handout of how this goal
could be accomplished. Alan McCool passed the duties of the office of President on to Eric
Stroschein. Eric has lots of plans for PS-APG. Bonnie Jean MacDonald stepped down from the
Program Coordinator position and it was passed to Winona Laird. There will be new officers
and new duties taken on in 2013. David Liesse will be the Treasurer. Steven Morrison will
move from the Treasurer's duties and will take on the Secretaral duties. It was a very
good meeting with lots of good food, good sharing and cheer.
**********
PS-APG
around the archives.
**********
PS-APG was present at the recent Washington State Genealogical Society (WSGS) Conference hosted by the Clallam County Genealogical Society in Port Angeles, Washington on September 7-8, 2012. Their guest speaker was Brian Hutchison, CMA, FSA Scotland. Brian is a full-time professional genealogist with over 40 years of experience. He is Chairman and President of Gen-Find Research Associates of Canada. He gave 25 Tips in Less Than an Hour on how to do genealogy effectively. He stressed setting goals and knowing what it is you want to accomplish before you begin your research task. Other presenters were Jim Johnson, Director of HQRL and a member of PS-APG who gave a talk on Finding Your Ancestors Using Google. PS-APG had their table at the conference and there were several really good discussions about becoming a professional genealogist with those that stopped by. PS-APG members that attended were Eric Stroschien, Jean Yager, and Bonnie Jean MacDonald who set up and worked the table. Another member of PS-APG was also present, but she had to be because she is the President of Clallam County Genealogical Society the host society, Vice President of the WSGSand also a member of PS-APG, her name is Virginia Majewski. Ginny is a busy lady. It was fair weather in Port Angeles with a beautiful view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The next WSGS Conference will be held in Yakima, June 28 and 29, 2013 and will be hosted by the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society.
**********
**********
On Saturday, July 14, 2012, the PS-APG members gathered at the Program Coordinator's home in Shoreline, WA for an informal get-together. There was good food, good conversation and lots of sharing. The weather was excellent. It was a great time and lots of fun.
**********
PS-APG member Trish Hackett Nicola, CG, attended the NGS Conference in Cincinnati, OH on May 12, 2012. This photo shows Melanie D. Holtz, CG and Trish Hackett Nichola, CG at the APG booth. Trish is holding the PS-APG brochure.
**********
PS-APG gathered at the National Archives in Seattle on April 14, 2012 for a meeting followed by a presentation by Eric Stroschein, PS-APG member. The presentation was: Robert Brockbank and the Hunley. A Study in Methodology. Eric talked about his use of the GPS (Genealogical Proof Standard) in his research on Robert Brockbank. He used many sources in his quest to prove the identity of this man.
**********
Reuniting an Urn with its Family: On Feb 8, 2012 Officer Brian Lynch of the Black Diamond Police Department contacted PS-APG. A citizen brought an urn to the station that was found while cleaning out the basement of a recently purchased building. Claudia Breland decided to accept the challenge of finding the family and returning the urn. Claudia tells how she worked with the Black Diamond police, the clues she started with and the process of reuniting the ashes with the family on her blog post of March 12, 2012 Genealogy is for the Living. Here is the link to the story published at Voice of the Valley: http://www.voiceofthevalley.com/Article/Mar14Remains.
**********
February 11, 2012 PS-APG held a meeting and presentation at the Renton Library at 10 am. Claudia
Breland gave a great presentation on Podcasts, Webinars and Blogs, Oh My! Her presentation covered
how to find, log on and utilize these events to educate yourself on various genealogical topics. After,
members gathered to discuss the steps to becoming a certified genealogist. Trish Hackett Nicola, CG answered
questions and discussed her experience in becoming a Board Certified Genealogist and what it was like to
renew.
**********
December 10, 2011
Our Annual Holiday Photo
**********
On Saturday, November 5, 2011, PS-APG was present with a conference table at the Family History Expo 2011. This Expo has gotten so big they had to move it to another stake (Bellevue South Stake Center) located behind the big Temple in Bellevue. PS-APG's table was hosted by Bonnie Jean MacDonald, Program Coordinator and Historian, Amy Toney, Claudia Breland, Secretary and Alan McCool, President. Claudia also presented a lecture on Podcasts, Webinars and Blogs, which Bonnie and Jean Yager attended. Janice Blackhurst and Eric Stroschein also presented lectures.
Here is a link to the brochure. It was an excellent Expo and as usual the seminar organizers did a great job. Bonnie also had a table for the Washington State Genealogical Society next to the PS-APG table which was also a success! PS-APG has been hosting a table at this Expo since 2005.
**********
Heritage Quest Research Library kindly sponsored PS-APG's
presentation of Citing Your Sources, by PS-APG Member Jean Yager. HQRL has moved to a
new location just down the street from their former home. They are located right on Main Street
in Sumner with their library and book store. On Saturday, October 1, 2011 PS-APG hosted the
presentation on Citing Your Sources, with a wonderful lunch with goodies and a big
pot of Chili provided by our President, Alan McCool. The meeting room was filled to capacity. This
presentation was one of many educational opportunities hosted by PS-APG (Puget Sound Chapter of
the Association of Professional Genealogists) at their meetings which are open to the public.
The next PS-APG meeting will be our Annual Holiday Potluck at the NARA branch location in Seattle,
WA on December 10, 2011. Check out our meeting schedule on this website, click on Meetings to the left.
**********
PS-APG participated in and attended the Washington State Genealogical Society (WSGS Conference in Richland, Washington on September 16th and 17th, 2011. This WSGS event was sponsored by the Tri-Cities Genealogical Society located in Richland. Bonnie Jean MacDonald (Program Coordinator), Steven Morrison (Treasurer), Alan McCool (President) and Eric Stroschein (Member) attended and hosted the PS-APG table. It was a great conference with Paul Walls Stamm, CG, CGL as the featured speaker and many other talented lecturers. Here is the link to the Tri-Cities WSGS Conference website. Bonnie Jean MacDonald and her husband Alan Rowberg took advantage of the Reactor B tour which is now a historic site. It took a 45-minute bus ride out to the site on the Hanford Reserve. It is an amazing story how the Reactor B was build and function within two years back in the 1940s. There was a whole community of people involved. Of course it meant removal of settlers already established and that is still an ongoing story. Congratulations to Tri-Cities for a job well done.
**********
**********
On Thursday, May 5, 2011 the PS-APG Chapter gathered at the Meeker Mansion in Puyallup for a tea and a tour. The occasion was to celebrate the visit of Laura Prescott, President of the Association of Professional Genealogists. We were also lucky to have Cyndi Howells of Cyndi’s List present. She was escorting Laura and they were touring various locations like the Space Needle and more. Laura was in the Pacific Northwest to present a seminar for the Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society’s Spring Seminar on Saturday, May 7, 2011 in Tacoma.
**********
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~watpcgs/2011Prescottflier.pdf
The afternoon started with a tea on the lower floor in one of the lovely rooms of the Meeker Mansion. The room was filled with lively chatter from those who attended. Laura gave a brief speech about the Chapters role in APG. Later we heard about the history of the Meeker Mansion and the efforts to restore the home. The tour of the mansion was conducted by a lovely lady dressed in period clothing. They talked about the restoration process of the mansion and one could see evidence of the work being done. It was well attended and PS-APG gained one more new member. It was a great day for all!!
**********
PS-APG participated in the Family History Expo held in Bellevue, WA on November 6, 2010. It was a great success. Steven Morrison gave several lectures. Claudia Breland helped out at the conference table. Alan McCool came by to see what was happening and also helped at the conference table. Bonnie gave several lectures as well. There are lots of changes coming to the Family History Library. Next year they will be in Redmond unless they have to move to a larger location.
**********
The PS-APG Chapter held a meeting on October 30, 2010 at the Magnolia Branch of the Seattle Public Library. The topic was Using the genealogical Proof Standard to Solve a Genealogical Problem, by Patricia "Trish" Hackett Nicola, CG.
**********
**********
PS-APG traveled to Eugene, Oregon for the GCO Summer Fest on July 31, 2010. GCO stands for
the Genealogical Council of Oregon
and they were the sponsors of the seminar which featured Elizabeth Shown Mills. Several PS-APGer's attended:
Bonnie Jean MacDonald, Trish Nicola CG, Patricia Summers-Smith, Alan McCool, Jean Yager and Jim Johnson.
Jim brought the Heritage Quest books and they had an huge display in the vendor area along with other
great booths. The seminar attendance was 218 and the GCO was totally amazed that so many people responded.
It was a great seminar. Elizabeth gave 4 lectures throughout the day. There were other great lectures by
Beverly Rice, Geoff Rassmusen, Connie Lenzen and more. The syllabus from the conference was also excellent.
Here is a link to the seminar information.
Congratulations to the GCO for a wonderful seminar. Dinner with Elizabeth was at the Oregon Electric Station
in Eugene. Bonnie and Patricia visited on Friday at the Oregon Genealogical Society which is based in
Eugene, Oregon. They are in a building on the ground floor in the downtown area on Oak Alley Street west
of Oak street and between E. 16th and E. 15th. Best to drive on OakStreet and park in the multi-level
parking lot on the left. Beware some streets in Eugene are one way and Oak goes north. They are a little
hard to find so give them a call before you go to get directions.
Here is a link to their website and their
wonderful library.
**********
Monday, May 24, 2010 was an exciting evening for PS-APG. We hosted Elissa Scalise Powell, CG. Elissa took time out to share with PS-APG members and other enthusiastic genealogists in the area. We met at the Greenwood Senior Center on 85th. Elissa talked about the Dreaded Research Report. Her method is to write the research report as she performs the research including the documents into her word processor. She uses templates for the report so she has some information already to go. She uses templates for sources that she uses frequently so she can just make simple changes. She explained the differences in compilations versus the research report. The research report is about the research only it is not a genealogy written for the family. Elissa feels that writing about the research is essential in understanding the research project and finding clues for further study. The next topic was a discussion about the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Elissa encouraged the group to go to the BCG website where they will find all kinds of information to assist them in becoming certified. There are articles on various subjects to assist you in learning how to prepare as an examplea transcript of a document or an abstract. I took a look around their website and was very impressed. There is a video by Elissa and Tom Jones that discusses the process of certification available for you to study. It is worth it to examine this website for it is packed with hints and help. She went over the certification process and the reasons you might want to become a certified genealogist. We are greatly indebted to Elissa for her time and thank her for coming and sharing her knowledge. The Seattle Genealogical Society seminar with Elissa the past Saturday was a great success you can learn more at the SGS President's blog.
**********
**********
**********
**********
**********
In March Trish Hackett Nicola, CG, was a judge for Washington History Day. This year's students researched and wrote papers on the theme Innovation in History: Impact and Change. Trish helped judge the second round of papers for the Puget Sound region. The papers will have one more judging at the local level. The top ranking papers will go on to the state level, and a few will make it to the final competition at the national level in June 2010.
**********
On March 11, 2010, Trish Hackett Nicola, CG, presented a paper, "The Halcyon: the Infamous Opium Smuggling Schooner," at the Pacific Northwest Historian's Guild Conference on Northwest Borderland at MOHAI.
The Halcyon was beautiful and fast. Her owners used her to smuggle Opium and Chinese into the United States in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The cargo came from China and was dropped off in Hawaii, Victoria, Vancouver, Port Townsend, and ports all the way down the coast to San Diego. The presentation gave background information on her owners and crew, the smugglers and their illegal cargo, the Halcyon’s evasion from Custom officials and how she was finally captured by authorities.
**********
On Saturday December 12th, 2009, PS-APG members and guests gathered at the National Archives in Seattle
(NARA) to share special genealogical memories and finds.
**********
**********
The Annual Christmas Photo: PS-APG members gathered together on December 11, 2010 to share and celebrate the Holiday Season. Our members would like to extend to everyone our best wishes for 2011.