Whatcom Genealogical Society

03/06/2026

Using Ancestry.com? Of course you are! Join WGS on Monday, March 9th to discover some tips and trips on using this powerful website. We will be reviewing a YouTube presentation by Crista Cowan, guru of all things Ancestry. We will have some time for questions after the presentation, so please have them ready and we will try to answer them. Maybe you have a favorite feature that you would like to share - we would love to hear it!

WGS meets at the Pavilion in Pioneer Park, 2007 Cherry Street, in Ferndale. Doors open at 1:30 and the meeting begins at 2pm. Visitors are always encouraged to attend our meetings. The Pavilion has lots of free parking, and there are no stairs to navigate. Light refreshments will be served.

Questions? Visit our website www.whatcom-gen-soc.org and click on the contact button.

03/06/2026

Some FYI from RootsTech - mobility scooters can be rented for those who need assistance. Best to schedule ahead of time, and the cost is about $120/day. There are also elevators and escalators. Golf carts are making runs between the library and the convention center. There is one hotel attached to the center, and several right across the road. It’s nice that FamilySearch is making it easier for everyone to attend!

03/06/2026

RootsTech 2026 is off to a great start. If you can attend in-person you get the opportunity to speak directly to speakers and vendors! There are also mini sessions in some of the vendor booths. If you can’t attend in-person, be sure to check out the website for recorded sessions. Photo dump below!

02/20/2026

Huge news! FamilySearch mentioned improvements coming to the search features of Full Text Search. Their software engineers have visibility to how people use the search function and saw an overwhelming number of instances of people using it incorrectly. Therefore, they've been trying to simplify it.

I just went out to FamilySearch Labs and found that there's a new experiment for Full Text Search called Simple Search. Either go to the link below or scroll down the home page of FamilySearch until you find Labs on the right-hand side.

From Labs, you can turn this on and give it a try. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet because I'm trying to finish my new FamilySearch Family Tree research guide to release tomorrow, so watch for that coming soon!

https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/

02/18/2026

We are delighted to present the 2026 NCGS Virtual Conference to North Carolina family researchers around the world. The conference will span two days, March 27-28, 2026, and will include four lectures each day. No matter where in the world you are, if you have a good internet connection, you can register and attend this Virtual Conference. Registration now open! https://www.ncgenealogy.org/event/2026-ncgs-virtual-conference/

02/16/2026

02/15/2026

There’s something powerful about preserving a voice.

On February 28, learn how to record the stories that matter most in Introduction to Recording Oral Histories with public radio reporter Kyle Norris.

Whether it’s Grandma’s greatest tales or the history of your community, you’ll gain the tools to ask meaningful questions, capture high-quality audio, and confidently preserve stories for future generations. Inspired by NPR’s StoryCorps, this hands-on class covers interviewing techniques, recording equipment, and simple editing and storage solutions.

📅 February 28 | 1 – 3 pm
🎟️ $35 members | $40 public
✨ Registration includes Museum admission

Bring your ideas, a notebook, and a phone or recording device. Leave ready to press record.

Register now: https://bit.ly/46Hx1sX

02/14/2026

Big news: For the first time ever, you can stream our virtual keynotes before the RootsTech event! Click the link below, and be one of the first to hear inspirational stories from:

-Former NASA astronaut José Hernández
-Irish dancing internet sensations the Gardiner Brothers
-Award-winning broadcast journalist Jessica Soho
-Brazilian football legend Zico

Watch here: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/events/meet-our-keynotes?cid=SO-00056118