Latest News For Members
Out-of-Area Events
December Membership Meeting
“Looking Back at 50 Years of WAGS”
We’ve put together a power point presentation to give us a look back at the folks who had the dreams and the determination to make WAGS a reality. It’s a story of generosity, hard work and camaraderie. We are thankful for all that they have given us, and we’re eager to continue their vision into the next fifty years!
Monday, December 13, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.
Topic: WAGS December General Membership Meeting
Time: Dec 13, 2021 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82646974837?pwd=YkxScjAzOVBjYWp0cjNpaXdlWVBMUT09
Meeting ID: 826 4697 4837
Passcode: 50years
November Membership Meeting
Join us via Zoom on Monday, November 8, at 2:00 p.m. for our November get-together.
Our presenter is Jill Morelli, past president of the Seattle Genealogical Society. She is a writer, lecturer and co-founder of the Applied Genealogy Institute. Jill lectures nationally and has written articles for National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Swedish American Genealogist, and many others.
Her topic today is FamilySearch: The Other 95%. She describes her presentation this way: FamilySearch recently announced that all the film records in their possession have been digitized. The problem?–not all are indexed, so a simple surname search will not locate these records! How can you access them? We will explore the ways to find the image-only documents and illustrate successful (and maybe not so successful) searches!
Topic: WAGS November General Zoom Meeting
Time: Nov 8, 2021 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86151480844?pwd=MmJVZElydnBodDdyTDM2UGxoVG5qUT09
Meeting ID: 861 5148 0844
Passcode: November
October Membership Meeting – Public
“Chronicling America: A Newspaper Site for Everyone” presented by Dana Palmer, a professional genealogist from the Cincinnati area of Ohio.
We’ll learn more about the Library of Congress’ digitized newspaper site, and the most effective strategies for research results.
Monday, October 11 at 2:00 p.m., via Zoom.
Topic: WAGS October Meeting
Time: Oct 11, 2021 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81979600466?pwd=K3N3a0pNWVQ4MnB5MDFzNHZWMlp5Zz09
Meeting ID: 819 7960 0466
Passcode: October
Here is our speaker’s HANDOUT.
Washington Digital Newspapers
Dick Brender a long-time WAGS member from Cashmere provided us with some information about the Cashmere newspapers project he has been working on. This was discussed at the September WAGS meeting held at the Museum in Cashmere. This info might be interesting for many of you.
Dick says there are only a few scans online now but you’ll be able to see how it works:
Click on Chelan County, then the Cashmere Valley Record.
Here is the URL of the website:
https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=p&p=countybrowser
October Board Meeting
The WAGS Board will meet via Zoom on Wednesday, October 6 at 9:30 a.m.
Here is your Zoom information:
Topic: WAGS Board Meeting
Time: Oct 6, 2021 09:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 832 0282 0997
Passcode: Board
Shirley will be hosting the meeting, so if you have any trouble joining the meeting, email her at [email protected]
A Trip Back in Time: A History of Cashmere Businesses
Technology meets history! The Cashmere Museum has installed a unique kiosk that traces the development of Cashmere businesses from the town’s beginning. It will show the year the building was built, its location, ownership and occupants through the years, using pictures and newspaper clippings. WAGS will be a special guest of the museum, and one of the first groups to get a custom demo of this modern-day “time machine.”
Monday, September 13, 2021 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village, 600 Cotlets Way, Cashmere. Zoom Link:
| Topic: WAGS September Meeting Time: Sep 13, 2021 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) |
| Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84443692870?pwd=VmYybndBMDA2MXN6YkxDY3ZFWWRXZz09 Meeting ID: 844 4369 2870 Passcode: September |
What’s new at the Central Regional Branch Archives?
We have not scheduled a program with the State Archives in Ellensburg in five years. It’s time we had an update! Brigid Clift, the Regional Branch Archivist, will share her screen and reacquaint us with the archives and digital archives. You’ll want to hear about the work they are doing with Ancestry. Brigid will be looking forward to answering your questions about their research hours and their volunteer-from-home program.
The best part about this meeting is that it will be hybrid! Those who are comfortable with in-person can join us at the Douglas PUD Auditorium, just like old times. And if you’d rather keep on Zooming, you can be present that way as well. (We will post the Zoom information as the meeting gets closer.)
See you on Monday, August 9, at 2:00 p.m.–at the Douglas PUD Auditorium or via Zoom!
JUNE 14th MEETING
An Ounce of Prevention: Making a Genealogy Disaster Plan
Genealogy documents, photographs, mementos, and databases are a family’s most prized possessions. they can be lost in an instant in the event of a disaster. This lecture focuses on how to plan before the crisis occurs, so that loss is minimized and your genealogy legacy is preserved for future generations. Our speaker is Julie Miller, a full-time professional researcher, speaker and writer who lives in Broomfield, Colorado.
ZOOM link to be posted a few days before this meeting. See you then!
Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Monthly Educational Meeting October 2025
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, starting at 6:00 pm
This month’s presentation: Cyndi’s List in Practice presented by Cyndi Ingle.
Sometimes overwhelming to beginners and sometimes underused by veterans, Cyndi’s List is a research tool that is robust with resources helpful in everyone’s research. Using specific examples for beginners, as well as more advanced researchers, we will explore the site and point out how to make the most of the categories and the links found within.
This meeting will be hybrid and we encourage everyone who is able to attend in person at our new meeting location:
University Place Library
3609 Market PL W.
University Place, WA 98466
and via Zoom for those unable to attend in person.
Attend virtually via Zoom:
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZIqduGpqjgsHtBNs9zc8CGna6R-KHlcz5so/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGuqToiG9CWth2DRpwAB4j4WevwiHZdgrd_sgy8GSMLQST4N7Rwf5lXHNvK
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86718143644?pwd=S0FjYU5acVVKbDEyamdXWWZVekFjdz09
Meeting ID: 867 1814 3644
Passcode: 630507
One tap mobile
+12532050468,,86718143644#,,,,*630507# US
+12532158782,,86718143644#,,,,*630507# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 253 205 0468 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 867 1814 3644
Passcode: 630507
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcFbCNTY39
Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Mystery Book Club October 2025
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society Mystery Book Club
Saturday, October 18, starting at 4:00 pm via Zoom
Please join us as we discuss a fictional genealogical book, Gold and Gunslingers by Susan Finlay.
More information at:
Amazon: Gold and Gunslingers
TPCGS Book Club Zoom Meeting
Every month on the Third Sat beginning at 4:00 PM Pacific Time
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81999213610?pwd=Qkk2WFZTZ2Rzdzc1Z0szN1AzdEZCUT09
Meeting ID: 819 9921 3610
Passcode: 479394
One tap mobile:
+12532050468,,81999213610#,,,,*479394# US
+12532158782,,81999213610#,,,,*479394# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location:
+1 253 205 0468 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 819 9921 3610
Passcode: 479394
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keibNHDdyf
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Best Uses of AI for Genealogy
Best Uses of AI for Genealogy
Speaker: Mark Thompson
Friday, October 17, 2025, 10am
Meeting via Zoom only.
To receive a Zoom link, please register at bigenealogy.org
Artificial Intelligence has brought powerful new tools to family history research. AI can efficiently summarize documents, reliably extract information from large texts, and accelerate your research. These tools offer fascinating possibilities for enhancing and simplifying your family history.
On Friday, October 17th at 10AM, Mark Thompson, will come to us via Zoom, with his beginner friendly presentation, Best Uses of AI for Genealogy.
A nationally-known expert in the use of artificial intelligence for family history applications, Mark will explain how to use these powerful tools to find, analyze and organize our data. He will also highlight areas where caution is critical and traditional research methods remain essential.
You are invited to join us! No membership necessary. Go to the BIGS website to register and receive the Zoom link: bigenealogy.org/events
Tri-City Genealogical Society FamilySearch’s Full Text Search
Please join us for Tri-City Genealogical Society’s October General meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8. The presentation will be at the Richland FamilySearch Center located at 1314A Goethals Dr. Entrance is down the ramp from the parking lot that is to the north of Dairy Queen. The presentation will also be on Zoom so you can join in from the comfort of your own home. See below for the Zoom link.
The October TCGS General meeting is entitled Secrets for Success: How to Harness the Power of FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search and will be presented by Julia A. Anderson. Learn what FamilySearch’s full-text search capability can do for you! This class will provide you with tips and tricks for making the most of this innovation in genealogical research. We will cover various ways to search, how to use wildcards and other tools, ways to filter your results, how to read and save images and transcriptions, and what to do with the information you find in the records. Key takeaways include revolutionary access to un-indexed records, smart search techniques that deliver results and seamless integration with FamilySearch family tree
Julia A. Anderson, MA, AG®, AGL™ has a master’s degree in history and education and is an Accredited Genealogist® and Accredited Genealogist Lecturer™ with expertise in the United States Gulf South Region. She works as a full-time United States and Canada research specialist at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah and teaches genealogy research and accreditation classes for Salt Lake Community College. Julia owns and manages Anderson Genealogical Research, LLC, serves as a commissioner on the board of ICAPGen, and is the conference chair for the Utah Genealogical Association.
Topic: TCGS General Meeting October 8 at 7 p.m.
Time: Oct 8, 2025 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 854 4403 6762
Passcode: 290245
One tap mobile
+12532050468,,85444036762#,,,,*290245# US
+12532158782,,85444036762#,,,,*290245# US (Tacoma)
Join instructions
Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Was Your Ancestor Really Gone or Just Hidden
PAM VESTAL
Genealogist and lecturer
Was Your Ancestor Really Gone or Just Hidden in the Records
Speaker at the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society’s
October 9th Zoom meeting.
Virtual meeting doors will open at 6:30 pm
The speaker’s program will begin at 7:00 pm
The public is invited to attend.
Please consider joining our society for $20/yr.
For a link to join the meeting or to join the society contact [email protected] 24hrs prior to the event
Seattle Genealogical Society – Beginning Genealogy Classes
STILL TIME TO JOIN BEGINNING GENEALOGY CLASS
Classes Begin Oct. 15 and 16
Motivated to learn more about your family’s story? Want to learn how DNA can help? SGS will be offering a new beginning Genealogy class in October. This online course will give you the tools to succeed in your research.
Four weekly online sessions are included with a fifth, optional session in person at the SGS library. The class covers how to successfully conduct, organize, and record research for your genealogy. How to begin? How to evaluate evidence? What are the best sources? Where are the records–online and off? What can DNA tell us?
Start your journey on a foundation of good habits and best practices. Participation will help you develop great genealogy skills. The course finishes with a list of favorite sources for additional learning and an optional meet-up with a personal research session at the SGS library.
There are two options for class time:
- Morning class: Wednesdays, Oct. 15, 22, 29 and Nov. 5, 10:00-11:30 p.m.
- Evening class: Thursdays, Oct. 16, 23, 30 and Nov. 6, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Weeks 1 – 4 will meet virtually and consist of lecture, discussion, and workshop for one-and-a-half-hours each session.
Week 5 (optional) includes a library tour and one-on-one research assistance.
There is a limit of 20 people per class. Class fee $80 (SGS members $60). Learn more.