1940 Census...... more details.

Thanks to Charles for mentioning the need for knowing the ED (enumeration district) and address in order to find your people in the 1940 census when it first opens. The good news is that the 1940 census will be released to us on April 2, 2012. The bad news is that it will NOT NOT NOT NOT be indexed. The various folks who are geared up and ready to do the indexing (Ancestry, FamilySearch) cannot have access to it either (by law) until that very day. So it will take a few months to get the 1940 census indexed. In the meantime, if you're bound and determined to find your family, you must know the address where they lived or be prepared to browse. Thought you'd want to know "the rest of the story."

1940 Enumeration District Maps

I saw this post on the Seattle Genealogical Society Presidents Blog. It pointed out that NARA has posted copies of the Enumeration District maps. Click on this link and click on search and then type in 1940 Census Maps [county name] [state name], so when I typed in Spokane County there was three hits and they also had a box that said Digital Copies so when I clicked on the first one I got thumbnails of Spokane County, the second one had 4 thumbnails of Spokane City, I downloaded the north east section of Spokane City since my mom and I think my dad were both living there in 1940. The Enumeration Districts are very hard to read as they are kind of faint, but it looks like my mom is in ED 10 and my dad in ED 25.

Leonardo DaVinci at the MAC

One whole huge wall at Spokane's MAC museum has been turned into the Last Supper by Leonardo DaVinci. If you'll never afford to travel to Italy to see the original (which is crumbling fast) you can come see it here and now!  And what does this have to do with genealogy, you're perhaps saying?

The Leonardo DaVinci exhibit currently at our MAC (Museum of Arts and Culture) is a wonder...... to see the drawings DaVinci made, and then to see the wooden models of that whatever-it-was........... Leonardo DaVinci, 1452-1519,  was a man, an inventor and a true genius and his inventions show the vast imagination of man. You will be enthralled as you walk through this display of his creations.

And if you want to make Egg Tempera Paint and slather a wall with a creation of your own, you can pick up a flyer that will tell you just how to make that paint. (The exhibit is only there until September 5th, so hop to it.)

Military Records ONLINE....... EWGS July 16th class

At our class on July 16th, 10:15 or 11:30, we'll be talking about more than just Civil War records...... we'll be discussing finding Military Records ONLINE......... all sorts of records from 200 years of American history. Miriam says there are still sign-up slots; email her today to reserve your chair in the computer lab, downtown Spokane Public Library.  kidmiff@gmail.com

I'll be there.......hope you will too!   Donna

Miscellaneous from Donna

Hello EWGS!

Anybody remember our EWGS member Sue Soderstrom? Well, darnit, she's had a stroke and will be moving to Portland to be nearer her daughter; EWGS will miss her!  You can send a message to her via her daughter, Diane, at dianegoff@mindspring.com

Cecily and Ed Kelly are finally grandparents! Cooper Charles Propes made his Texas appearance on July 1st. She should be home by the end of July. (Which also explains the "I'm behind" with our EWGS Digital Digest.)

How are you coming on your "story" for your person for Walking with Ancestors? The Big Day is just a tad over six weeks away............ please write up your story using the guidelines that Shirley sent to you because we do intend to use your story in a future Digital Digest. Reason I mention it: Just ran into our member Catherine Armstead and she told me she had NOT begun the research nor the writing for her person. Well, Catherine, only six weeks to get it done.

We're also a tad behind in the publicity for Dr. Schweitzer coming for our Fall Workshop speaker on October 1st. Have you marked your calendar? Have you been telling your friends and any/all acquaintances? Have you been handing out those little cards that Shirley made up for you to hand out??? We'll have the flyer for him up on our website ASAP, I promise.

Have you registered with Miriam for the July 16th "Military Records Online" class (that I will be presenting)?? Best hop to it........... only so many chairs in the room.

A committee met to discuss program ideas for 2012 and one really bang-up idea is to partner with SPL to have a "Welcome 1940 Census Birthday Party" as our April meeting. The 1940 census will be released by the government the Monday before our meeting, so it's a really good fit. Bette Topp and I are meeting soon with Pat Partovi (EWGS member and Library Director) so stay tuned for the details.........

Remember my words/plea/statement/admonishment at the June meeting. We will be needing a 1st VP for 2012; this person's main duty is programs. Well, if the programs are pretty well mapped out for 2012, it shouldn't be a too-ornerous job. And like I said, we will NOT be having an active  nominating committee (will abide by our By-Laws) but I fully expect some one of you will step up and accept to serve EWGS in this capacity. Or we might just not have those programs. Really.

Hope your July 4th was a great one; now we march forward into the second half of 2011.  Donna

Remember Dale Hastin (was Smith)??

Dale Hastin was EWGS president way back in 1993; she has since moved to Colorado. She cared for her mother until just a month ago when she passed away, and now Dale is eager and ready to get back into genealogy........... she's headed east for her second research trip to Kentucky. I bumped into her at the Family History Expo in Loveland, CO, and it was great to see her and catch up. Doesn't she look good??