Friday, November 29, 2019

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


Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from the EWGS Blog

 Thanksgiving Card from my Aunt Carrie
to my grandmother Anna Hansen

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

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! 

Saturday, November 23, 2019

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.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

A Picture Worth 1000 Words



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



Friday, November 15, 2019

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.



Thursday, November 14, 2019

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. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

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???



Friday, November 8, 2019

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?????? 

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

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. 

Friday, November 1, 2019

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.