Olympia Genealogical Society

About Us

The Olympia Genealogical Society (OGS) was founded in 1974 to promote the study, interest and research of family and local histories, and to encourage assistance, cooperation and guidance in those efforts to members, friends, and the community. See OGS History for more detail including a list of OGS Charter Members and a list of OGS Past Presidents.
 
OGS is a non-profit society based in Olympia, the State Capital of Washington.  We are located in Thurston County, at the southern end of Puget Sound.  We are approximately 60 miles south of Seattle, and 100 miles north of Portland, Oregon.  Although based in Olympia, OGS serves all the communities in Thurston County, including: Bucoda, Grand Mound, Lacey, Littlerock, Rainier, Rochester, Tenino, Tumwater and Yelm.  Our area is bounded by Mason County to the northwest, Grays Harbor County to the west, Lewis County to the south, and Pierce County to the northeast.
 
The society has transcribed and published many of the available Thurston County records of interest to genealogists. Many have been published in our Quarterly journal, some as individual books, and on the Internet.
 
We hope that interested genealogists will join us at our regular meetings, annual seminars, beginner's workshops, and other events sponsored by the society.
 

OGS Bylaws

Please see the OGS Bylaws (11 Oct 2018 Revision).
 

 
The OGS Board of Directors consists of the Elected Officers and the Committee Chairs listed below.
 
Our Community Partners and SIG Leaders/Facilitators also are listed below as other key OGS contacts.


Operating Year: September 2023 - August 2024


Elected Officers
President: Mr. Andy Wood Carter
Vice President: Terry William Church
Secretary: Carol Jenner
Treasurer: Karin Coppernoll
Past President: Kathy Erlandson
 
Team Leads
Book Management: Rebel Romero
Membership: Bob Monn
Newsletter: Peggy Cooley
OGS History: Vacant
Publicity: Mandy Stahre
Research: Jerri McCoy
Seminar: Nancy Cordell
SIGs: Kerry McHugh Upton
Sunshine: Gayle Strom
Technology: Joe Brookshier
 
Community Partners
City of Lacey: Ms. Erin Quinn Valcho
Timberland Library: Agatha Burstein
 
SIG Leaders/Facilitators
Ancestry.com: Greg Nordlund
DNA: Nancy Cordell
Family History Writing: Laura Carroll
FamilySearch.org: Carolyn Nora Gibbons
Family Tree Maker: David Clarence Abernathy
Genealogy Chat: Peggy Cooley
Italian: Greg Nordlund
Legacy Family Tree: Jerri McCoy
 

Meeting Info

The Olympia Genealogical Society normally meets the 2nd Thursday of the month, September through June. Face-to-face meetings have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we now are meeting virtually via Zoom beginning at 6:30 pm. The formal meeting begins at 7:00 pm. Watch this website and email for more information.