Happy New Year

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!

This postcard dated Dec 31, 1925 was from Lawrence and Elsie Hansen. Lawrence was the younger brother of my grandfather Anton Hansen and Anna (Dillingham) Hansen was Anton's wife.

Good read: The Button Boxes

Home & Harvest is a delightful little magazine that likely you've never heard of. Published by a young couple living in Moscow, Idaho, the magazine is billed as: We are the premier community and lifestyle magazine for the Palouse and surrounding regions. That means the magazine covers Moscow, Pullman, Lewiston and Clarkston. While (apparently) you cannot subscribe, issues can be picked up for free at merchants in those towns. The magazine has interesting articles, history bits and local recipes. Tiz a fun read every time.

The current issue (pink drink on cover) featured an interview with a young lady author, Temple Kinyon, about her new book. I was so intrigued that I went to Amazon and bought the book. Looked like my kind of read...... any genealogists kind of read. 

Let me know what YOU think. 

Santa Claus' pedigree chart? Really?

Is Santa Claus real? Does he have a pedigree? Well, according to Google, the answer is yes. Here tiz:

Merry Christmas

Christmas postcard from my uncle Ralph Hansen to my grandmother Anna Hansen in 1918. Ralph's sisters Frances and Carrie were in Minnesota going to college. Interesting note on this penny postcard, it took two one cent stamps to mail it in 1918. One of the tax increases the government used to help pay for WWI. Notice how plain this card is, the fancier postcards were mostly from Germany, but Germany quit exporting post cards when the war started.

When did Christmas trees become a thing?

Everybody likes Christmas trees and most everybody puts one up in their home (even before Halloween!!). Do you know when this custom originated? Here's the answer and now you know. (Google: Christmas tree history for more info.)

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century (that's in the 1500s) when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.

Personally, while I enjoy my indoor tree, I love a snowy outdoor tree even more. What is your favorite?

Ever see a Nativity Set like this one??

We've all seen Christmas Nativity sets in many sizes and shapes and they're all wonderful. Especially the ones from our childhood, right? Here's one like I'd bet you've never seen before:

Being a "rock person" this unusual Nativity Set really spoke to me when I spotted it. 

Tell me about your favorite Nativity set; love to hear your memories. Just click COMMENT below. 

Been to see the Manito greenhouse lights?

Have you been to see the lights in the Manito Greenhouse? They're only showing Dec 13-22. Why speak of this in a genealogy post? 
Christmas tradition is why. That is one of our family's Christmas traditions. What are yours? 

Have you also written down for posterity your Christmas traditions of your childhood? Your young-children-at-home days? Even if you cannot re-live those memories, you certainly can memorialize them for posterity. Why not do it now? 

My Dad's Christmas Letter to Santa in 1926

Old family letters are next best thing to have after old family photos, right? Here is my Dad's letter to Santa written when he was five years old in 1926:

"Dec 26  Dear Santa  I have been good so please bring bring things to play with remember the poor children Francis Potter"

Did you save any of YOUR letters to Santa? Or your childrens?

EWGS January Luncheon

Save the Date

Our Year of Change!

Join us for a great Pasta Luncheon at Mukogowa. Enjoy an informative webinar: “Do You Have Brick Walls?” from the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS). And Honor and visit with our past Presidents.

When: January 4, 2020. Time: Doors open at 11:30 Lunch at 12:00-

Program to Follow

Where: Mukogowa | 4000 W. Randolph Road | Spokane, WA. 99224

Buffet Pasta Bar and Webinar

Registration: $25.00

By Pay Pal at ewsgi.org

OR

Mail Check to:

EWGS

P.O. Box 1826

Spokane, WA 99210

Obituary Crew..... and a "Christmas" find.

The Obituary Indexing Crew is keeping on keeping on. The crew is comprised of: Lynda Keenan, Lynn Krogh, PJ Farrance-Rabel, Cilla Carpenter, Jeanne Coe, Patricia Flint, Sandi Gaffney and me, Donna. 



Jeanne Coe and I are working to index the obituaries found in the 22 drawers of Biography Files at the Ferris Library. And that's where I found that Santa once lived in Spokane!

Alexander Cozza, who was born in Italy, died in Spokane in 1978 and lies resting in Holy Cross Cemetery. His wife, Santa C., died in 1998, age 86, and rests beside him.

Now you know! :-) 

Frosty's Baby Picture...... Really?

Everybody enjoys baby pictures. Well, most everybody. How about this one?

Finding Your Female Ancestors at Hayden Library

Dear Friends,

I've scheduled a three-month genealogy series to delve into the extraordinary lives of our female ancestors, in particular, those born during the early 20th century when the women's suffrage movement led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The workshop will last about an hour with informal sharing, so bring your bagged lunch as we have the room until 12:00 p.m.

FINDING YOUR FEMALE ANCESTORS AT HAYDEN LIBRARY
Saturday, Jan 11 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Where Were Your Female Ancestors Celebrating the Vote: 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage

Saturday, Feb 8 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Finding American Women’s Voices through the Centuries: Letters, Diaries, Journals, Newspapers, and Court Records

Saturday, March 14 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Nineteenth Century Women Settlers Confront the Far West

"The Seneca Falls Convention framed a national discussion about women's rights in America and marked the beginning of a massive civil rights movement that would span the next 70 years. The right to vote was seen as the first step to change the traditional and unjust systems that existed. Women worked for equal rights." 

You might want to get your hands on a good book or two for "light" reading. I'd recommend The Ladies of Seneca Falls: The Birth of the Woman's Rights Movement (Studies in the Life of Women). You could goggle using the terms: "books on women's suffrage" or just read websites. 

Merry Christmas, and I hope will to see you soon.

Your friend,

Kim Morgan

https://www.facebook.com/findingmyancestor/  

https://www.findingancestors.net

Will your family keepsakes end up like this??

My doggers and I enjoy taking walks along our Spokane County road. While I too often carry a bag to pick up trash, I did once find a $20 bill. Score!

Imagine my horror, dismay and tears to find this lying with other trash spilling out of a black plastic bag in the gravel. 

Of course you're thinking, "well this won't happen to MY stuff!" Or will it???

Giving precious heirlooms to an unappreciative son or niece might just guarantee your memento or photo to end up at best in the Goodwill or at worst, alongside the road. 

Best Genealogy Periodical: Family Tree Magazine

If I were asked to recommend my candidate for best (meaning most useful) genealogy magazine, Family Tree Magazine would be my choice, hands down. 

Family Tree Magazine is published six issues per year and subscription costs $25 (less for a digital subscription). Each issue is chock-full of useful ideas and resources. Couple times a year they have lists of "75 Best Genealogy Website for ____" Could be U.S. research, could be state-by-state resources, etc. Each issue has Collectible State Guides that easily pull out from the center of the magazine. The Dec 2019 issue featured New York and North Dakota. There are dozens of other regular features always worth my time to read.

What are your kids getting you for Christmas?????? Wouldn't you like this better than a sweater??

Call 888-403-9002 to subscribe or send an email to familytree@emailcustomerservice.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from the EWGS Blog

 Thanksgiving Card from my Aunt Carrie

to my grandmother Anna Hansen

Free Tutorial Videos........ Helpful learning on your schedule.

We're all up for "free," right? I've taught for years in my classes that "if it's free, take two!" 

Would you like to know about 450 online FREE video lessons on how to better use FamilySearch and Ancestry and how to do genealogy better in general?

Provo sits about thirty miles south of Salt Lake City and the Family History Library. Provo is the home of BYU, Brigham Young University. There is a Family History Library on this campus and it's a real rival to its "big brother" up in Salt Lake. 

Here's how to check this out: (1) click to www.youtube.com;  (2) in the top search bar type in BYU Family History Library; (3) the requested "channel" should come right up; (4) click to subscribe to this "channel" and you'll be notified when new videos are posted.

So let's see. With 450 online tutorials and 365 days in a year, and if you watched one video per day, in 18 months think how smart you'd be! And how confident! 

Save the Chancery Building? Yes or No?

There is a huge decision looming regarding the rehabilitation or demolishing of the Catholic Chancery building next door to Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral. Do we care what happens?

I certainly do! That building has stood for over 100 years and housed the diocese for 53 years. Originally, the Diocesan Archives were held in the basement. Famed architect Kirtland Cutter designed the building in 1910 and it housed various businesses until 1966 when the Catholic diocese purchased the building (their old building being in the path of I-90). 

Cowles Real Estate Company owns the building and stated in an article in The Spokesman Review last August that "with the age of the building, many of the systems are nearing or past the end of their useful life, including the roof, plumbing, electrical, elevator and HVAC." 

Here's what I think: Quoting from the website www.whitehousehistory.org:

President Harry S. Truman also had the White House renovated between 1948 and 1952. The White House interior was gutted in an extensive renovation. The original exterior walls remained standing while the interiors were removed and reinstalled within a skeleton of steel structural beams on a new concrete foundation

If, back in 1950, that magnificent structure was totally gutted and updated, why cannot that be done to one of the few really great historic buildings remaining in Spokane???

It was suggested to me that anybody who cares might want to write a letter to Betsy Cowles, c/o The Spokesman Review, 999 W. Riverside, Spokane WA  99201, and explain your thoughts and feelings regarding that 100 year old and most beautiful building.

A Picture Worth 1000 Words

No need to say anything about this image I found on Facebook. One picture says it all.

Troy Historical Society Presentation

We want to share with you a presentation given by one of our Whitman County Genealogical Society members, Joye Dillman. 

 Joye Dillman of Pullman will give a historical presentation on toys and games enjoyed by children before computer games and the internet at 6:30 PM, Wed., Nov. 20, at the Troy Historical Society.  Joye's presentation is titled "For the Fun of it:  American Childhood Toys and Games."  She is a museum correspondent docent with the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and a retired professor of human development at WSU.  Attendees are welcome to bring their antique toys to add to the displays at the event.  The society is located at 421 S. Main St., Troy, Idaho.

Love This Apartment Name!

Spotted this small apartment building on West Riverside. I just HAD to get out of the car and take a photo. I think it's just the darlingest name for an address I've ever seen.

TAG Meeting Today: Patricia Flint Shared Her Story

Our TAG meetings are the second Thursday of the month, and soon to be relocated to the Indian Trail Library on the far northwest section of Spokane. Marge Mero does an over-the-top job keeping the group on track with her meeting details and email reminders. All are welcome to this group.

Today was a wonderful meeting of TAG (The Ancestry Group). Patricia Flint told the tale of finding out the details of Esther Ewer, her third great-grandmother's, life. And it was a hard one to be sure. Patricia explained some of the resources she used and how networking with Betty Ellis helped her search. 

It moved all of us when she read the affidavit from Esther that explained that her husband went off to the Civil War a strong and healthy man and came home sick with consumption and was never able to work again, leaving Esther penniless with five children to raise. 

Patricia's mother, step-father and "auntie" came to hear Patricia's talk which made it all the more special. 

Another Crazy Newspaper Ad

I spotted this little ad in The Daily News from Nelson, B.C. for September 28, 1906.  What do YOU make of it???

Old Newspaper Ads Are Hilarious

If you read the blog post for Nov 5th, you know where this next comes from:

We of the EWGS Obit Indexing Project get slowed down a bit in this work because our eye is drawn to the old newspaper ads:

Think Perma Tweeze worked?????? 

EWGS Obit Indexing Committee Update

The hard-working members of the OBIT committee have now been working for a year to create a database of where to find a specific obit from the Spokane papers since day one. 

 

Above are Jeanne Coe, Sonji Rutan, Donna Phillips, Lynn Krogh, Duane Beck, PJ Farrance-Rabel, Sandi Gaffney, Patricia Flint, Lynda Keenan and Charles Hansen. 

This photo shows a huge step toward completion of the project. Thousands of obits have been clipped from newspapers and glued onto cardstock and then alphabetized in archival boxes down at the MAC. The upright cards indicate those needing indexing. (Sandi is The Queen here; she's indexed hundreds of names/obits already!) 

Goal is to have a Guide To Finding Spokane Area Obits on the EWGS website soon.................. interested in helping? Contact Donna. 

Did Our Ancestors Mark Halloween?

In your family stories, do you have any mention of how your ancestors might have marked Halloween? Or is this just a 20th Century Wall Street phenomenon? Did they at least maybe carve a pumpkin? (Or were pumpkins FOOD in days of yore?)

Have you a carved squash on your front porch yet? Know when/where that custom originated? Thanks to Wikipedia, here's the answer:  It is believed that the custom of making jack-o'-lanterns at Hallowe'en time began in Ireland. In the 19th century, "turnips or mangel wurzels, were hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces," were used on Halloween in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.

November Meeting: WWI and WWII Research

Happy reminder of our next EWGS meeting, this next Saturday, November 2nd. 

EWGS member Sue Richart is coming down from Colville to teach us about doing World War I and World War II research. 

Her handout is available on our EWGS website; please print it out for yourself to bring along as there will be very limited copies that day.

Hope you'll come and learn about doing some military history research taught by a really knowledgeable presenter.

Boxes Of Books: Goodbye To Our Books

Soon, very soon, we bit goodbye to our EWGS Genealogy Collection housed for over 80 years (since 1935 when EWGS was formed) at the downtown Spokane Public Library.

As you may or may not know, SPL is closing for a major remodel that will take two years. When reopened, the downtown SPL will be a Community Resource Center and not a "book library" like we oldsters remember and love. 

Some 85% of the books in all areas will be removed. Imagine that... of 100 books on the shelf, only 15 will be left. That, of course, includes the Genealogy Section. What few of our book SPL wants will be merged into the Northwest Room.

The rest of our genealogy resource library have been distributed to various places. The LARC Center on Whidbey Island took some 500 books. Members will be/have been invited to come pick. And the bulk of the collection will be happily given to the Family History Library in Salt Lake at their invitation. They are sending a truck on Monday, November 4th.

Now you know the rest of the story; rumors are true. Somewhat. 

Good News & Bad News

Good news and bad news for today. This "news" came up in the discussions of your EWGS Program Committee at our follow-up-to-the-Fall-Workshop meeting. 

While we all realize there is no Magic Pill to swallow to help you find all your genealogy answers

but there are Magic Pearls!!! 

And where do you find or obtain or get Magic Pearls?? By looking for them, duh. 

Think of this oyster. First you had to deep dive in cold water to find the rascal, then risk your fingernails to pry it open, but VIOLA, look at the pearls! Each colored pearl represents a fact about your ancestor for which you've been seeking. 

The point of this silly post, and of our recent EWGS Fall Workshop, are that answers ARE, indeed, out there. We have but to go looking.