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Our
researchers are available to assist you with your genealogy and family history
needs. Do you need someone to:
* Give a lecture? We can help in
these and many other areas of genealogy and family history. PS-APG
Members do genealogical research in the Puget Sound area and beyond. You
can reach their individual biographies by clicking on their name below or
scrolling down the page. You can also
reach them at the national
APG Directory.
M. Alan McCool Jr., Ph.D., G&FHC Patricia Summers-Smith, G&FHC* Cathryn E. “Cathi” Vannice, G& FHC* Please be
advised that while PS-APG encourages quality in its members' work, it does not
guarantee the work performed by any of our members.
All of our
members abide by the APG Code
of Ethics. Janice S. Blackhurst Janice has researched her own
family genealogy and genealogies for many other friends and acquaintances
for over 20 years. She turned
her passion for genealogy into a profession in the last year working with
many clients and a couple of genealogical companies. Janice was raised on
the east coast of the Publications:
For the future she is considering publishing a book on
abstracted court minutes for Wake County North Carolina 1816-1837).
Lectures: Janice has taught
classes on researching your family history. She has emphasized for
families with little free time the many increasing resources available for
online genealogy research. One of Janice's lecture topics is:
“Online Resources for Genealogy.” Specialties:
Janice specializes in D.A.R. lineage papers, federal records,
probate, and immigration and naturalization records. She has
experience transcribing wills and other probate records. Janice can
translate vital records or probate records from Spanish to English.
She has been able to solve complex genealogical "mysteries." Her
maternal lines have proven to be challenging considering she is a descendant
of surnames such as Jones, Smith, Green, and Brown. But this has allowed her
to really sharpen her analytical skills in genealogy. One of her most
exciting successes was to identify many unmarked graves in a rural cemetery
in Greene Co., Georgia that only had 3 marked headstones. Her
research resulted in proof that the cemetery was the original farm property
of one of her ancestors. One of her specialty areas is
the southeast She is very familiar with the
Family History Library in Memberships:
Janice is a member of the Washington State David Douglas Chapter
http://www.dar.org/natsociety/chapters.cfm?State=WA Top Claudia C. Breland Claudia has been doing genealogical research since 1972, tracing her family back to the early 19th century in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. She obtained her Master's Degree in Library Science from Florida State University, and has worked in local public libraries for over ten years. She has taught library research skills at the community college level, and made several research trips to Michigan. Claudia is the current Chapter Secretary for the Puget Sound Chapter of the APG. Specialties: Claudia specializes in 19th and 20th century Michigan and Washington State, and is especially familiar with libraries and archives. Claudia's close proximity to Tahoma National Cemetery and other cemeteries in Maple Valley and Black Diamond area make access easy. She is experienced in doing extensive internet research. Classes: Claudia is available to teach classes in Online Genealogical Research. Memberships: Claudia is a member of the National Genealogical Society, the Ohio Genealogical Society, and the Washington Genealogical Society.
Dan Durham G&FHC Dan is a graduate of the University of Kansas and the George Washington University. He is a graduate of the University of Washington Genealogy and Family History Course. Dan is available to assist others as they do their own research and to evaluate and write summaries of others research results. He is also available for limited travel to conduct on-site research.
Research Specialties: Dan specializes in Federal and State records
and Court House and Archives research. Dan's geographic
specialties include Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and
Tennessee.
Lois Gumz-Calisal
Lois has roots in the US and strong roots in Ohio. She highly recommends the Ohio Genealogical Society for research and networking. Lois combines researching her family history with extensive travel. In December 2009 she traveled to Istanbul to visit family and may return as recently as February of 2010. Her travel challenges have included stopping in Washington D.C. which is filled with genealogical possibilities. She mentioned traveling to Ottawa to visit family. Ottawa has the Library and Archive of Canada a great genealogical treasure. If that is not all, Lois just might appear at the upcoming Ohio Genealogical Conference and the National Genealogical Conference in Salt Lake City for 2010.
Elizabeth
Hansford
With over 20-years experience in
genealogy research and a wide range of skills outside of the standard
genealogy-realm,
Classes and Lectures:
Specialties:
Federal records, internet research, genealogical genetics, content
publishing, technology applications, and project management.
Professional Associations & Organizations:
Blogging:
Elizabeth blogs at
Genealogy Geek
which covers topics including genealogical research best practices, tips
and tricks, publishing, technology, and the journey to becoming a better
genealogist.
Jim Johnson, Director
Jim is the Director of the Heritage Quest Research Library in Sumner, Washington. This library is located 909 Main Street, Sumner, Washington they can also be contacted at research@hqrl.com or call Phone 253-863-1806. The Heritage Quest Research Library presents through out the month. You can go to the website to see their schedule. Their catalog is online at their website. Their hours and more are also at the website. Lectures:: Jim has been lecturing at the Heritage Quest Research Library and has developed several topics that include: 1. Internet for Genealogy (2 hrs); 2. Canadian Research (2 hrs); 3. Deciphering Genealogical Handwriting; 4. Western Migration During the Gold Rush Era; 5. Animap and maps on the internet; 6. Mayflower and Other Early Ships; 7. Using Family Tree Maker; 8. Military Records; 9. Cemetery & Death Records (2 hrs.); 10. Church Records (2 hrs.). Other topics are presented on request. Jim has his own LCD projector and wireless internet hookup. Handouts are included. Many presentations include a CD for the participants with internet links. Specialties: Jim has expertise in vital records, internet research, computer training, newspaper research and northwest city directories. He will take digital photos of tombstones and loves exploring cemeteries. His knowledge of genealogical topics covers Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Memberships: As a member and director of the Heritage Quest Research Library Jim has traveled to seminars and conferences in the area for the Society to provide books for sale through the Library. If you would like to have them come to your society to sell their books please contact Jim for details. Jim is also a member of the Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society and the New England Historical Genealogical Society.
Rebecca Logan
Rebecca helps people find their ancestors’ life stories
by weaving together information from documents, photos, and family stories
with research about their communities, their work, and the times in which
they lived. She assists with writing family histories and with presenting
genealogy in the form of creative projects.
A specialist in United States history from colonial
times to the present, Rebecca has researched women accused of witchcraft in
colonial Maryland, African-Americans in colonial Virginia, Civil War
soldiers, twentieth century socialists, and families living in the Midwest
and upstate New York in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Rebecca’s doctoral study in history focused on
combining history and genealogy to tell the stories of ordinary people. She
has has been doing genealogical research for over twenty years and has a
certificate in Genealogy and Family History from the Lectures: Getting to Know Your
Ancestor (researching historical context) Specialties: Coaching people who are researching their family
histories
Memberships:
Bonnie was
born and raised in Seattle, Washington.
She is a graduate of the National Genealogical Society American
Genealogical course. She has traveled
extensively throughout the United States researching her family at various
genealogical archives such as the D.A.R. Library, Mayflower Library and the New
England Historic Genealogical Library in Boston.
She also travels to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Bonnie has a B.A. degree in History from the University of Washington.
She is Past President of the Puget Sound Chapter of the APG.
From
January 2009 to December 2009 she was the Region #2 Representative for the
Washington State Genealogical Society. Beginning on January 1, 2010 Bonnie
became the Washington State Genealogical Society Newsletter Editor.
Lectures:
Bonnie has lectured at the Family
History Expo, for the Rainier Chapter of D.A.R., and for several genealogical societies
and family associations. Her topics are: “How to Organize a Genealogical
Research Trip;” “Wills, Probate & More…;” “Researching in the Pacific
Northwest;” “How to Prepare for a Trip to the Family History Library in Salt
Lake City;” and “My Genealogical Journey.” Specialties: Bonnie will assist you in locating your ancestors with particular emphasis on Washington State. She offers digital photography services of family history sites such as tombstones or houses. She is located 20 minutes away for major Seattle genealogical repositories and is willing to travel. She is currently working on projects in North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Jamaica. Her own personal research takes her to Minnesota, Ohio, and New England. Bonnie has experience with obtaining obituaries, census, cemetery information, vital records, probates, deeds and more. Memberships:
Member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Delano Kindred and several historical societies in
Pennsylvania. Blogging: Blogging: Bonnie has become an avid blogger
starting in 2008 with her second blog “Pennsylvania Wanderings.”
This was about her trip to “Pennsylvania Wanderings”
http://pawanderings.blogspot.com/ 2008
Virginia Majewski Virginia holds a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies (PLGCS). Virginia is available to give lectures or presentations and assist with personal family research.
Research Specialties: Virginia
specializes in Anabaptist Genealogy/Pennsylvania Dutch. Her
geographic specialties include Washington, Missouri and Switzerland.
M. Alan McCool Jr., Ph.D., G&FHC After years abroad, Alan returned to the Seattle area, where he was born and
raised. He has been investigating his heritage for over 30 years and is
very familiar with the excellent genealogical resources in and near Seattle. In
investigating family history, he has also traveled to and used archives in
Denver, Colorado; Nashville, Tennessee; Salt Lake City, Utah; Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; and in small towns in Northern Ireland, Missouri, Arkansas, Idaho,
and Oregon. Upon his return from overseas, Alan developed considerable
ability in internet genealogy, which has opened many doors in his own
genealogical research. In June, 2009, he earned a Certificate in Genealogy and
Family History from the University of Washington. His final project for
that program concentrated on Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (immediately
northwest of Philadelphia), 1784 – 1815. In August, he made some family
history himself by getting married. His wife has Swedish roots, which have
inspired a new and growing expertise in Swedish genealogy, and the McCools are
learning to speak Swedish. Alan has taken a volunteer position as
Genealogy Librarian at Seattle’s
Swedish Cultural
Center.
Alan has a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Indiana University and a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching from the Queen’s University of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Social Psychology is a branch of Experimental, rather than Clinical, Psychology; Dr. McCool’s skills are as a research scientist and professor. Within Social Psychology, Dr. McCool’s specialties are social identity and intergroup relations. Social identity is the part of a person’s self-concept that is based on his or her membership in social groups, such as “Americans,” “firefighters,” “Baptists,” “men,” “teenagers,” “wives,” or “Campbells.” Intergroup relations is how social groups think, feel, and act with regard to one another. Dr. McCool did post-doctoral work on these topics in South Africa.Alan has taught university courses in Social Psychology, the Psychology of Diversity, Personality Psychology, Introductory Psychology, Statistics, and Research Methods. With this experience in university-level teaching, he is especially well prepared to provide lectures, classes, and private/semi-private lessons on a variety of genealogical topics. Lectures/Classes: Alan has taught university courses in Social Psychology, the Psychology of Diversity, Personality Psychology, Introductory Psychology, Statistics, and Research Methods. With this experience in university-level teaching, he is especially well prepared to provide lectures, classes, and private/semi-private lessons on a variety of genealogical topics. Specialties: In addition to Lectures and Classes (see above), Geneagraphy specializes in In-Person Help for those who want to do the research themselves, but desire additional, personalized, face-to-face assistance using genealogical resources or solving tricky genealogical problems. Geneagraphy also provides Custom Research for those who have a research goal, but would also prefer to have Geneagraphy plan and take the steps required to reach that goal. Goals of completing historically accurate reports based on sound documentation and analysis are especially welcome due to Geneagraphy’s emphasis on producing long-lasting records of a family’s history. Computer generated charts and diagrams can be incorporated as needed or desired. Finally, Geneagraphy can provide Research Support, which is the completion of limited, clearly defined tasks necessary to projects planned, managed, and analyzed by others. Particularly useful to those living at a distance from the Seattle area, it includes the retrieval of specific records held in local collections (e.g., a particular deed held in the King County Archives or a transcription of a Seattle Death Register entry for someone known to have died there in say, 1902). Research Support also includes the completion of more complex tasks, such as the identification of the specific piece of evidence needed. In addition to physical access to Seattle-area resources, Geneagraphy, of course, has internet access to a wide array of records, such as those from the census, military, and state vital-records departments. Dr. McCool’s background in logic, science, and research enables Geneagraphy to conduct the most complete, efficient, and reliable data-base searches possible. Alan’s genealogical research experience follows the westward expansion of the United States. Starting with the US Atlantic coast, it is concentrated on the states of Pennsylvania (colonial times through the present) & early Virginia. Alan is particularly familiar with the land, probate, and court records of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and the years in Pennsylvania from 1780 to 1820. Moving inland, Alan’s experience spreads to early Ohio & Kentucky; antebellum Tennessee & Illinois; then to Indiana, Missouri, & Arkansas; and, in the West, Washington & Colorado. In addition, Alan has growing expertise in the records of the Kingdom of Sweden. Writings and Presentations: Dr. McCool has produced numerous scholarly reports, including research articles in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology and in the journal Politics. He has presented his experiments to conferences in New York, Hawaii, Northern Ireland, England, South Africa, and elsewhere. His final, June 2009, report for the University of Washington’s Genealogy and Family History Certificate program was entitled Toward a Family History of the McCools of Post-Revolutionary Southeastern Pennsylvania and focused on Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1784 - 1815. Memberships: Alan is currently a member of the Seattle Genealogical Society and the Swedish Cultural Center, Seattle, Washington
Steven W. Morrison Education: Steven is a graduate of Huxley College at Western Washington University with honors, 1974. He has a Masters of Public Administration, from The Evergreen State College (TESC), 1985 and was Adjunct faculty at TESC from 1987-1994. Steven has attended advanced genealogical training courses at Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) in 2005 and 2010; and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) in 2010. Publications:
Steven was the author for the LDS Wiki for Irish Quaker Church Records in 2009.
He wrote a book review for the APG Quarterly in 2009.
In 1997 he wrote a remembrance of his grandmother Waltz "Glad Our Paths
Crossed." This book is in a time
capsule on the Washington State Capitol Campus and the Family History Library. Lectures: Steven
has presented many lectures and his topics include: "Peopling the British Isles
- Genetic Origins of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England" (Advanced);
"Detours Around Irish Roadblocks and Stone Walls" (Beginner); "Irish Research
Trip - Belfast, Dublin or Salt Lake City?" (Beginner); "Irish Folk Parks - Your
Ancestor's World" (Beginner); "Irish Roots - Jeopardy" (Beginner); "Finding Your
Irish Quaker Roots" (Beginner); "Profile of a Quaker - Friends in the Middle
Colonies" (Beginner); "Quaker Dates and the Missing 11 Days of 1752" (Beginner);
"Quaker Colonial Attire 1680 to 1775" (Beginner); "Beginning Genealogy -
Introduction to Sources" (Beginner); "Outlaw Genealogy - Finding the Outlaw in
YOUR Family" (Beginner). Specialties:
Steven has expertise in Quaker searches in Ireland, migration studies and
abstracting rare documents. His
geographic specialty areas are Ireland, Oregon, Utah and Pennsylvania. Memberships: Steven is a Past President of the Olympia Genealogical Society (OGS) from 2003-2005 where he was the chair of their spring seminar for three years. He is also a member of the National Genealogical Society.
Patricia
“Trish” Hackett Nicola, CGSM
Trish has a B.S. in Accounting
and is a retired CPA. She has a Master of Science in Library Service and worked
as a reference librarian before becoming a full time professional genealogist.
The analytical and research skills she honed as a CPA and librarian have come in
handy for historical and genealogical research. She loves solving mysteries. Specialties:
Nineteenth and twentieth century in Seattle, Washington State and the Pacific Northwest--from
early settlers to locating missing heirs; historical research for
authors and Irish-American research. Her research is usually conducted in local
courthouses, libraries, archives, historical repositories, cemeteries, and
National Archives (Seattle), with periodic trips to Salt Lake City. Trish’s other research interests include the Chinese Exclusion Act Records, house histories, historical research, and photographing cemeteries. Research for Authors: Warship Under Sail: The USS Decatur in the Pacific West by Lorraine McConaghy Recent Publications:
Memberships:
National Genealogical Society,
Seattle Genealogical
Society,
 Consultants 227 Bellevue Way NE Bellevue Phone: 425-452-9223 Email: ms@spinstersattic.com Website: www.spinstersattic.com Melonie has ten years of genealogy experience. She is the past Secretary and current Webmaster of PS-APG. Melonie is currently a U.S. GenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project Volunteer, transcribing and photographing the 6000+ interments at the Arlington, WA Municipal Cemetery. Specialties:
Federal Records, Historic newspapers, Internet Research. Geographic specialties: Memberships: Melonie is a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, The Washington State Genealogical Society and the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society. Patricia Summers-Smith, G&FHC  Rootstracker Research Services
Seattle Email: rootstracker@comcast.net Website: http://rootstracker.com Patricia is a professional genealogist with 20+ years' experience in genealogy and family history research and 35 years' experience in the field of graphics and publication production. She completed the University of Washington Genealogy and Family History Certificate (G&FHC*) program in 1995 and the Washington State PI Certification Course in 2006. She travels periodically to Salt Lake City to research in the Family History Library, and has also traveled and researched in major repositories in Kentucky and Missouri. More recently, in 2009, she became an alumni of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama. Specialties:
* All aspects of genealogy and family history
research,18th, 19th, 20th centuries. Amy is of a new generation of genealogists. She is passionate about family history and genealogy, believing our family's past informs our present. She is a graduate of the Genealogy and Family History certificate program at the University of Washington. She holds a Master's degree in Education (from the University of Washington) as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management and Tourism with a minor in Mass Communication from Arizona State University. She has researched her Toney family line to 18th century Virginia and continues to research her branch of the Toney family.
Specialties:
Memberships: Member of the Berrien County
Genealogical Society (Michigan) and the Virginia Genealogical Society.
Cathryn E. “Cathi” Vannice, G&FHC*
Cathi is a graduate of the Specialties: All aspects of genealogical research,
primary focus on the Pacific Northwest and Memberships: Member of
Jean J. Yager
Jean has been interested in
genealogical research since 1994 when her paternal grandmother passed away.
Going through a box of family information, she came across several articles
on John Nance Garner (VP to President Franklin Roosevelt). Questioning
her dad on why her grandmother had them, he could only reply that they were
somehow related to him. That started her quest into understanding the
world of genealogy. Jean was bit by the bug so bad that she has put
her original project on the back burner and has since been gathering
genealogical and historical information on all her lines, including her
husband’s. She has an AA degree in Business from Olympic Junior
College (1975); completed an online course through Carl Sandberg College on
Beginning and Intermediate Genealogy (1997); received a Certificate of
Completion in American Genealogy: A Basic Course from National Genealogical
Society (2004); and a University of Washington Certificate of Completion in
Genealogy and Family History (2009). Jean loves to cemetery hop
and can usually drag a “willing” family member. She has been to
several cemeteries in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, Hawaii, California,
Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Oregon. In January of 2010, Jean
(along with four of her family members) made her first trip to the Family
History Library in Salt Lake City; a truly beneficial adventure that she
plans to recreate several times. Specialities: Her
research interests lie in 19th and 20th century in
most states, along with Scandinavian research. Specialties include
digital photographs of tombstones and cemeteries, researching historical
U.S. newspapers, locating obituaries and census records, and researching on
the internet. She has also researched
online, both genealogical and historical, in the above mentioned states
along with Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Louisiana. She has a
collection of historical books on almost every state. She lives on the Kitsap
Peninsula in Washington state, making it convenient to travel around to
different cemeteries in western Washington, going to the Washington State
Archives, Washington State Library, National Archives in Seattle, and the
local libraries that have genealogical collections. |
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