Classes will be presented in five sessions throughout the day and will cover a wide variety of research topics.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
Advanced DNA Testing for Surname Projects []
Taught by Orin Wells. [class description to be added]
Taught by Denney Pugmire. [class description to be added]
Advanced U.S. Census (1790 to 1840) [Intermediate / Advanced]
Taught by Dave Thaler. An updated class focusing on census research to find ancestors in the US between 1790 and 1840. Topics include the logic and applied problem solving, tracking heads of household over multiple years, and search techniques. Lots of tips on how to get around the problems inherent in head-of-household-only census research. Online resources and off-line resources. Class is advanced level and those with prior census research experience will get the most out of the class.
African American Research [Beginning]
Taught by Cynthia White-Wilson. Just starting your research? This class will help you learn how to work effectively and avoid the pitfalls typical of most beginners. The class will offer research skills, tips, and resources and will cover what you need to know as you start on your quest for your family’s history. Basic, simple steps and “how-to” information will be presented for the beginner. Forms, charts and other research tools will be discussed.
Basic DNA Testing for Genealogists []
Taught by Orin Wells. [class description to be added]
Basic U.S. Census (1850 to 1930) [Novice / Intermediate]
Taught by Dave Thaler. An updated class focusing on census research to find ancestors in the US between 1850 and 1930. Topics include the content of each census, oral record problems, comparison of on-line search engines and unusual search techniques. Lots of tips on how to get around the problems inherent in census research. Online resources and off-line resources.
Citing Sources: Leave a Big Audit Trail []
Taught by DearMYRTLE. [class description to be added]
Civil War Records in the North []
Taught by Gary Zimmerman. [class description to be added]
Civil War Records in the South []
Taught by Gary Zimmerman. [class description to be added]
Taught by Cynthia White-Wilson. [class description to be added]
Taught by Delores Davis. This class will be an
interactive presentation on developing and writing interesting, informative and entertaining memoirs on trends, themes, or individual stories on “subject” specific life stories gathered from your genealogical quest.Documentation, Genealogy Without it is Mythology []
Taught by Jim Terry. [class description to be added]
El Poder de Formar Redes (Power of Networking) [Principiante (Beginner)]
Enseñado en español por Don Doud. Una clase nueva con intento de ayudarles a principiantes a mejor entender técnicas en línea y fuera de línea. Temas incluyen poner información en tableros de mensajes, investigar mediante correo electrónico, inscribirse en informativos y grupos en línea, contactarles a bibliotecarias en su área de interés, hablar con conocidos y ccoperar con grupos de interés semejante. Un poquito de lenguaje de computadoras, pero a un paso más despacito.
Taught by Don Doud. A class with a commitment to beginners covering on-line and off-line techniques. Topics include posting to message boards, emailing for look ups, joining on-line newsletters and groups, contacting librarians in the locality, talking to acquaintances and working with interest groups. A little computer talk at an understandable pace.
England On-line - Part 1 [Beginning / Intermediate]
Taught by Godfrey and Merry Ellis. An updated class focusing on online research techniques for England. Topics in Part 1 include geography and maps, church records (Church of England & Non-Conformist) for baptisms, marriages and burials and civil registration records. Applicable to England. Part 1 and Part 2 are self-contained classes. Attend one or both depending on your needs.
England On-line - Part 2 [Beginning / Intermediate]
Taught by Godfrey and Merry Ellis. An updated class focusing on online research techniques for England. Topics in Part 2 include census 1841 to 1901, parish chest materials, military records, wills, probates and tombstones. We will also take a look at www.genuki.com. Applicable to England. Part 1 and Part 2 are self-contained classes. Attend one or both depending on your needs.
Taught by Bob Allen. [class description to be added]
Finding Digital Items in the Family History Library Catalog []
Taught by DearMYRTLE. [class description to be added]
Finding Your Ancestors on Ship Passenger Lists []
Taught by Evelyn Roehl. [class description to be added]
Finding Your Ontarians: Research in Ontario Canada []
Taught by Jessica Hacken. Discover how to root out your Ontarians. We'll look at different records and how to access them in the search for your Ontarian.
Genealogical Hunting Grounds in the Puget Sound Region []
Taught by Evelyn Roehl. [class description to be added]
German Speaking People from Europe, 1800s []
Taught by Evelyn Roehl. [class description to be added]
Godfrey Scholar Program for Family History Centers []
Taught by Richard Black. The focus of this class will be to familiarize FHC and Ward Consultants on the electronic resources available through Godfrey Memorial Library at www.godfrey.org, as well as the best use applications for them. Proper login and search procedures will be discussed. Accessing additional databases available through the Godfrey Scholar Program will be reviewed.
How to Begin Your Family History [Beginning]
Taught by FHC Staff. [class description to be added]
Introduction to the New Legacy 7.0 Family Tree Software []
Taught by Jim Terry. [class description to be added]
Taught by Ann Lamb. This class will focus on locating the origin of your Irish families using U.S. sources as a key to making progress in research in Ireland.
My Ain Kin: Beginning Scottish Research []
Taught by Jessica Hacken. We'll take a look at three basic record types: civil registration, census, and parish records. Case studies will show you what information you'll find, where to find it, and how it can enhance your family history.
Taught by Richard Black. This class will focus on introducing new or potential Godfrey Scholar Program subscribers to the proper login and optimal search procedures that will aid in their research using Godfrey Scholar Premium Databases. A demonstration of several different databases will be given. Includes a troubleshooting review and question and answer period.
Norway On-line and Off-line [Beginning/Intermediate]
Taught by Sarah Thorson Little. An updated class focusing on research techniques and methodology for Norway. Topics include naming patterns, censuses, parish records, bygdebøker and Internet resources. Emphasis on Norway, but information learned can be helpful in researching ancestors from other Scandinavian countries.
O Canada! Beginning Canadian Research [Beginning]
Taught by Jessica Hacken. Many of us have Canadian roots, but don't know where to begin. We'll talk about different sources, access, and the wonderful resources available to those with Canadian ancestry.
Peopling the British Isles - Genetic Origins of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England []
Taught by Steve Morrison. The questions about the peoples of the British Isles are almost endless: Who were the indigenous people of the British Isles? Were they Celts, Picts, Anglos, Saxons or Norse? When and where did they come from? This presentation is based upon the recent book by University of Oxford professor Stephen Oppenheimer “The Origins of the British” (2006). Learn what new genetic discoveries DNA has uncovered about your ancestors from the British Isles.
Power of Networking [Beginner]
Taught by Don Doud. A class with a commitment to beginners covering on-line and off-line techniques. Topics include posting to message boards, emailing for look ups, joining on-line newsletters and groups, contacting librarians in the locality, talking to acquaintances and working with interest groups. A little computer talk at an understandable pace.
Principios de Genealogía en Latinoamérica []
Taught by Cruz Burrows. [class description to be added]
Profile of a Quaker - Friends in the Middle Colonies []
Taught by Steve Morrison. What do Miami CSI and genealogy have in common? They both use “profiling techniques” to identify probable suspects and make a case for further investigation. The profile of a Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) can be as distinctive as a fingerprint. This is largely because of there belief system, ethnic origin, marriage practices, and separate record structure. This session will show you how to get started so you can learn to spot the profile of a Quaker in a crowd. Then you will understand why most genealogists wish that they had a Friend in their family tree.
Taught by Cynthia White-Wilson. In this class, you will be given the basic knowledge needed to begin research in African American slave history. By using the case study, you will explore documents of both an African American family and those of a potential slave-owning family. In addition you will explore some unique documentation that can enhance your research.
Taught by Cruz Barrios Carrascosa. [class description to be added]
TempleReady []
Taught by Denney Pugmire. The TempleReady class will describe the use of the Windows TempleReady program to clear names for temple ordinances by LDS Church members. It will also include the use of the FamilySearch Internet and the IGI to view temple ordinances before using TempleReady.
The Changing Faces of the National Archives []
Taught by Carol Buswell.
The National Archives and Records Administration [NARA] is the repository that
holds the most-frequently used genealogical and historical records, such as the
US Census, military records, American Indian records, federal employment
records, and thousands of others. The National Archives is gradually
changing it's public face to include free access of these documents on the
internet. In addition, commercial and volunteer-based organizations have
obtained copies of some of these records, created indexes and placed digital
copies of them online. Some are free, others are free through public
institutions, and some are available by subscription from home.
This class will discuss the types, relative quality, and ways to access NARA
documents currently available online as well as what is NOT available in this
format.
Tracing Elusive Female Ancestors []
Taught by Sarah Thorson Little. Finding women in traditional records can be difficult in part due to historic legal rights and status. This talk will cover research methodology and strategies to locate and identify elusive female ancestors.
U.S. Land Records [Intermediate]
Taught by Kaylene Thaler. Back by popular demand, this class focuses on using this alternate source for genealogical information. Applicable to all states in the US during all periods of time especially useful for the 1700 – 1850’s; example information from Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia and Kansas. Topics include understanding land record documents, using its information in place of a census, finding women, quirks and tricks that will make it possible to find the right records and key research helps. This class is not just about finding land records, it's about using them.
U.S. Southern States Research []
Taught by Larry Singleton. An overview of immigration and migration patterns into the Southern states, their settlement and movements west. Exploration of research facilities, sources, tools and repositories will be included. Strategies and methodologies to assist you in your research will be presented. Included will be some of the unique challenges to southern research.
Visiting the Family History Library, using films and FamilySearch.org []
Taught by Bonnie Jean MacDonald. This class will prepare you for your first visit to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. It will cover tips for travel including airfare, lodging, food, transportation. What to expect when you get to Salt Lake City? What it is like visiting at the Family History Library? Tips on how to prepare to research at the Library such as navigating the website, finding films, fiche and and more.
Why the Mormons Do Genealogy []
Taught by Nyle Kinghorn. [class description to be added]
SPEAKER BIOS:
Ann Moloney Lamb is a retired Lake Washington School teacher, member and former vice-president of the Eastside Genealogical Society, and has been a volunteer librarian at the Bellevue Family History Center. She has been researching her father’s Irish ancestors and teaching Irish Research Skills as well as general genealogy for 15 years. She has visited her Irish families’ places of origin several times and recently returned from her latest sojourn there.
Bob Allen [bio to be added]
Bonnie Jean MacDonald was born and raised in northern Seattle and currently lives in the Shoreline area. She has been doing genealogy for 10 years. She is owner of BJM Genealogical Research Services and has been assisting clients from all over the United States for the last 7 years. Other clients have contacted her from Canada, Norway, France and Scotland. Bonnie likes to combine travel with genealogical research trips. She has planned and researched at the Family History Library several times. In researching her family history she has visited major repositories in Minnesota, Iowa, New England, Ohio, Oregon, British Columbia and more. She is currently President of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists.
Carol Buswell, Education Specialist from the National Archives in Seattle has nearly 30 years experience as a writer, teacher and specialist in family history. She holds a Master’s Degree in American Indian Studies from UCLA (1997). She compiled four indexes to American Indian censuses and rolls, wrote a migration history of Cherokee Indians in the late 19th century, gives workshops to school teachers about interesting and innovative ways to search the National Archives (both in Seattle and online).
Cruz Barrios Carrascosa [bio to be added]
Cynthia White-Wilson is a native of Washington, D.C. with ancestral roots in Patrick County Virginia and Alamance County North Carolina. More than 15 years ago, it was suggested that she do a photo family history. Since that time, Cynthia has published several articles for AAGHS Journal, participated in television productions on genealogy, was the keynote speaker at Patrick County Historical Society’s Black History Month event, instructed classes in Discover Your Roots II & II Workshops and Family Expos, and assisted many individuals from all other the US with their research. She presently holds the position of Chair of the Black Genealogy Research Group of Seattle.
For the past several years, Cynthia has concentrated her genealogy education on slave research and Civil War Pension Records. She has been very successful in her own slave research – finding and documenting 20 owners in both her direct line and collateral families.
Dave Thaler has been a Family History Center staff member for several years and is one of the co-chairmen for these Family History Expos. Dave is the historian for the Thaler family organization, and has published a book "The Thaler Family in Germany and North America, 1655-1995", containing the ancestors and descendants of the family that immigrated to Canada in 1830. Over the years, Dave has taught several classes in German, US Census and Internet research. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science.
Dave has traveled to Germany to visit the Thaler ancestral home, although most of his other lines go back to early New England settlers. He collects books on royal ancestry of New England immigrants, and maintains a web site on a number of lines to make available which have been accepted and which have been disproved.
DearMYRTLE is the nom de plume of Pat Richley, author of "The Everything Online Genealogy Book" (2001) and "DearMYRTLE's Joy of Genealogy" (2006). Myrt is a retired software instructor, has written an free online genealogy column since 1995, and regularly contributes to Everton's Genealogical Helper Magazine. Myrt has served as the instructor of the Manasota PAF Users Group since 1992 and as the Patron Services Librarian at the Bradenton, FL Family History Center. She cut her genealogical teeth at the National Archives, Library of Congress and the DAR Library in Washington, DC. Myrt has recently returned from teaching and speaking at the Northern Utah Family History Conference & Symposium. Myrt also taught and spoke at MyAncestorsFound.com family history jamborees in St. George, Utah and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Pat is a Daughter of Utah Pioneers on 7 lines, a Daughter of Union Veterans on 3 lines, and is currently documenting her lineage for her Daughters of the American Revolution application. Fortunately Pat's daughters live in Salt Lake City, which facilitates frequent visits to the Family History Library, where she has logged over 750 hours of research during the past ten years.
Delores Davis has been teaching computer classes for many years at SeniorNet of Puget Sound and Mercer Island Community Center in Mercer. She has written “The Male Connection,” “God’s blessing to me” (1995), her personal autobiography “Turning Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones” (2000). Delores wrote these books for her children and their children and then developed a class for this purpose which is still being taught today .
When her youngest child said he didn’t remember his father ever working, Delores knew the legacy of hard work and endurance needed to be written down. Her husband had his first heart attack when their son was 4, became disabled, and died when their son was 6. Delores expanded this legacy with an inspirational book of quotes, sayings and humor entitled “A Book of Entertaining and Enlightening Words”.
Denney Pugmire is a staff member at the Factoria Family History Center. He has completed some 6,000 hours of genealogical activities in the last four years. His activities include original and internet research, name-clearing, submission, database clean-up and memorabilia scanning. He has a database of 140,000 ancestors and finds PAF very adequate to search and manipulate the data. Denney also has a huge collection of historical photographs.
Denney and his wife, Barbara, are the parents of 7 children and 16 g-children. They have lived in Okinawa, Utah, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington, and of course, the last is the best.
Don Doud is a Seattle native. It could almost be said of him: “He lived in a log cabin which he helped his father build.” Don was an accountant/financial analyst for over 25 years, and so enjoys solving mysteries and tracking things down. He currently is a financial worker at Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services. He has also worked as a Spanish interpreter/translator for DSHS, King County Courts, Federal Way Public Schools, and others, and served a two-year mission for his church in Mexico. Don has been an adjunct professor at City University for over 13 years, teaching mostly undergraduate business courses. In 1977, Don and his wife Vicki moved from Seattle to Redmond in order to get out of the big city (that worked well, didn’t it?).
As with most of us, Don’s family roots are varied. His father’s ancestors came from England to America in the 1600’s, served in the Revolutionary War, came through Ohio and South Dakota, and eventually ended up here in Washington. His mother’s ancestors were also English, but also had a healthy component of French Canadian and even Native American (A French fur trader working for the Hudson’s Bay Co. next to then Fort Walla Walla married a local native girl from the tribe which later massacred the Whitmans). With some diligent research, Don was able to tie his father’s line back into the already researched Doud genealogy. His wife’s family has a large Icelandic component, and one of her genealogist cousins recently gifted her with some research tying the family line back to about the year 800 AD.
Evelyn Roehl [bio to be added]
Gary Zimmerman is a fourth-generation resident of Seattle, and officer in the Pioneer Association of the State of Washington and the President of the Fiske Genealogical Foundation. Gary's work in genealogy began with a 5th grade assignment and his exploration of family history has been continuous since that time. In the early 1960's he began teaching other people how to do genealogy. Today, most of his work is through the instructional programs of the Fiske Foundation and in supervising the responses to genealogical questions asked of the Pioneer Hall organizations.
Gary's family tree traveled from Germany to Pennsylvania to Ohio to Iowa, and then to the gold camps in the California Sierra. Along the way, they picked up some Welsh and Scottish genes. Gary's ancestors also hail from England and New Jersey with a slow move down the Eastern shore of Delaware and Maryland, and out to Minnesota with the French Canadians. All this before 1875, when Gary's family landed at the south end of Lake Union in Seattle and haven't moved since.
Godfrey Ellis is a Family History Consultant in Lacey, Washington. He has been tracing his genealogy and English family roots, off and on, since adolescence. Dr. Ellis recently presented on English genealogy at the Washington State conference on Family History and has lectured on several cruise ships - he and his wife Merry have sailed in the Caribbean, up to Alaska, and to Hawaii giving presentations on this addiction we call family history.
Not everyone is descended from royalty and famous figures, someone has to be descended from the commoners. Dr. Ellis has been working on a series of fact-based fictional accounts of several of his family lines embedding his ancestors in their personal and their social history. With dialogue and description, He hopes his books hook the next generations onto family history.
Jessica Hacken is the owner of Arbor Genealogy (http://www.arborgenealogy.com) and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speakers Guild. She is also a volunteer at the Auburn Family History Center and at AllExperts.com. She received B.A.s in Family History and French from Brigham Young.
Jim Terry is the Webmaster, Newsgroup Administrator and Customer Support Representative for Millennia Corporation, which produces the Legacy Family Tree genealogy program. He majored in genealogical research at Brigham Young University. After graduation, he worked as a professional genealogist in Salt Lake City, but eventually pursued a career in public relations and photography. In 1996, Jim returned to college to study computer networks and database management.
Jim does professional research for a small number of favored clients. He has written published articles on the use of the Internet and Scottish church records. In addition he has spoken to a number of genealogical societies and groups in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Utah and Washington.
Kaylene Thaler is a staff member at the Redmond Family History Center. She has been involved in family history for many years and always has good ideas on how to find missing ancestors. Kaylene also has years of group teaching experience and is very thorough in covering a topic. Two years ago while becoming an expert in US land records for the Expo, Kaylene studied and attended FGS/UGA conferences to keep current with new resources and techniques for land record research.
Kaylene's own family history required her to prove that there were two cousins with the same name living in different parts of the country, not just one person as was widely published in books and on the Internet. For the past two years, Kaylene has taught the first detailed how-to class for land record research and she is back by popular demand.
Larry Singleton has been researching ancestors for 30+ years often traveling to significant ancestral sites throughout the Southern, Mid-Atlantic and New England states. He is also in the midst of authoring a family history book on four lines of his ancestors and is currently serving in the Family History Center of the Redmond Stake.
Merry Ellis is a Family History Consultant in Lacey, Washington and has been fascinated with her family history for many years. She has spent many days conducting research on pilgrim lines in the family history library in Salt Lake City. Merry has visited England several times for purposes of learning more about her and her husband's family histories. Along with her husband Godfrey Ellis, she has also lectured on genealogy on cruise ships to Alaska and other exotic locales.
Related to the same Mayflower pilgrim fathers as Joseph Smith and Winston Churchill, Merry has family lines extended to England, France, Germany, and French-Canada.
Nyle Kinghorn [bio to be added]
Orin Wells, a computer scientist by trade, is a founder and president of the Wells Family Research Association, an international organization of family researchers of the Wells surname. He coordinates the Wells DNA Project that was started in 2000 and is still the largest single surname DNA project with over 400 participants world-wide. Orin is also a longstanding member of the Guild Of One Name Studies and a member of the DNA Advisory Panel for the Guild.
He will be making presentations on the use of DNA for genealogical purposes and the basics for setting up DNA projects.
Richard Black, after a fulfilling career as a developer of insurance computer systems, took the position of Director at the Godfrey Memorial Library (GML) in Middletown, CT in October 2005. He has been active in genealogical research for over 50 years. He has lectured widely in the U.S. during his time as Godfrey’s Outreach Librarian and continues to do so as Director. Richard has pursued his genealogical roots to Denmark, Sweden, England, Ireland, and France. He is the father of 10 children and grandfather to 27 grandchildren with 2 more on the way! Richard has been interviewed by Dick Eastman of Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter and has appeared as a guest on the DearMYRTLE radio show with host Pat (Player) Isaacs Richley. He specializes in Online Genealogical Resources.
Sarah Thorson Little is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and been a Professional Genealogist for 30 years. She has been the lead instructor at the University of Washington Certificate Program in Genealogy & Family History since 1989, and is also an instructor in family history and computer research at North & South Seattle Community Colleges. Ms. Thorson Little has specialized research expertise in Northwest Native Americans, Norwegian, 19th & 20th Century U.S. research and Washington State.
Sarah has been interested in family research since a young child. By the age of 14, she had been to every state in the United States at least twice, visiting historical landmarks and battlefields with her history professor father. She has since researched throughout the United States and in Europe visiting and researching in courthouses and archives in all areas where her known ancestors have lived.
Steven Morrison is the past President of the Olympia Genealogical Society where he chaired three spring seminars and was the Speakers Chair for the 2006 WSGS Conference. Since 1992 family history has been Steve's second profession. In 1998 he privately published "Glad Our Paths Crossed", a remembrance of his grandmother WALTZ which is now part of a millennium time capsule on the State Capitol Campus. Steve is a frequent speaker at his local society and was an adjunct faculty at the Evergreen State College for several years.
Steve's areas of interest are Western Outlaws, Oregon Trail, Ireland and Quaker research.
Page last updated November 4, 2007 by Dave Thaler