Donations & Memorials

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Instead of our usual Zoom meeting, OGS members (and their spouses/partners) are invited to attend an in-person Holiday Party on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 1-3 pm at the Capital Vision Church in east Olympia.  Here is the opportunity to greet friends of old and meet newer members you've only seen at Zoom meetings.  In keeping with our past party tradition, we ask for contributions of snack foods/light refreshments for our table (please, no items that require refrigeration).  OGS will provide plates, napkins and something to drink.  We hope to see everyone there!

 

We'll start off with a brief meeting to vote for president.  Andy Carter has been nominated and other nominations will be accepted at the meeting.  We'll also hear about our upcoming February 3rd annual seminar.

 

The address of Capital Vision Church is 1775 Yew Ave. NE, Olympia.

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The Feb 3, 2024 seminar will be focused on immigration and naturalization.  The featured speaker will be Rich Venezia.  See the OGS 2024 Seminar page for details.  Registration would be a great holiday gift for any genealogist's friend.

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Cyndi Ingle gave a presentation about doing research using her website CyndisList.com.  Cyndi's List is a robust research tool with resources helpful in everyone's research. She reviewed the contents of the site and pointed out how to make the most of the categories and the links found within.

 

Cyndi Ingle, a genealogist for more than 43 years, is the creator and innovator behind the award-winning and globally recognized CyndisList.com. Cyndi is an expert in using technology for genealogy, research in the United States and bringing together traditional methodology with organization, computers, software, and the Internet.  She is an internationally-known guest lecturer, and she has authored numerous articles and three books. Cyndi is the Executive Director for the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research. She is a columnist for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly.

 

A link to a recording of this presentation was available for OGS members to view through 25 Nov 2023.

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Nancy Cordell presented "Picking Cottens: Doing Research on the Enslaved and Enslaver in Mississippi". Family history research of enslaved and free African Americans in 19th century Southern states requires patience, tenacity, and, sometimes, serendipity. The African American Cotten family of Port Gibson, Mississippi migrated to Wilberforce, Ohio in about 1859. James Cotten, a white enslaver, had arranged to move his African American partner and their eight (8) children to the North before the onset of the Civil War. Uncovering this story required research online and onsite. Learn how Nancy uncovered this fascinating tale.

 

Nancy has a PhD in Anthropology and is a professional genealogist with her own business, Diggin' Our Past.  She has held many positions at OGS, including president.  See her full bio on our Events page.

 

A link to a recording of this presentation now is available for OGS members to view in Community Events / Recordings*.

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The OGS website is designed to allow our members to engage with each other as they trace their ancestors and discover their family histories. We want to make this site a dynamic experience. Here are just a few ways to engage on this site today:

• Go to Members Login* in the main menu and log in.
• Review your Profile and provide any appropriate revisions to your Contact Info. Email a photo of yourself to Membership@OlyGenSoc.org for posting to the Membership List.
• Under the Surnames tab of your profile, add the names of your ancestors.
• Join one or more of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
• Contribute to one of the Forums.
• Submit feedback, topic ideas or tips to Webmaster@OlyGenSoc.org.

If you aren’t already an OGS member, please consider joining and engaging with our community. To do so, see Membership in the menu in the left column.

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Fellow OGS Members, as we begin our 50th year as a group with the special interest of family history, we are looking to reconnect with the community at large while serving our membership's continued interest in all things genealogy!  With this end goal in mind, we are in need of more members to become involved to helping out.  Listed below are various opportunities to help.  Take a look, see what you can contribute to help grow and keep OGS vital for the next 50 years!  

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It's a New Year and our 50th Anniversary!  As a "New Year's Resolution" consider joining a Special Interest Group if you haven't done so.  This is a great venue to learn more and get to know fellow members in a small group setting.  SIGs are a benefit of membership so make sure your membership status is updated to access this wonderful benefit.  SIG meetings will continue to be held virtually using Google Meet except for the FTM SIG which will use Zoom.  See the SIGs page for a list of our SIGs, coordinators, meeting times, etc.

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OGS provides a searchable public database to which an OGS member can add the surnames of their ancestors. At this writing, the database includes 348 entries. See OGS Surname Database for more information.

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