Seattle Genealogical Society & Library

10/20/2025

We have just a few more spaces for the Saturday October 25 Calvary Cemetery (Seattle) talk and walking tour at 1:00pm. The long time superintendent will give us history of the cemetery and help us learn more from gravemarkers. Pre registration required at seagensoc.org

10/19/2025

Mexican Special Interest Group Meeting
Wednesday, October 22
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Virtual via Zoom; email Diane Hughes-Hart at SGSMexSIG@seagensoc.org to receive the meeting link.

This meeting will recap the Members Discoveries for this past year and if time, discuss and Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month (15 Sep-15 Oct 2025) and upcoming Día de Mu**to = Day of the Dead (Sat, 1 Nov-Sun, 2 Nov, 2025).

**tos Finding Your Roots

10/17/2025

Join us virtually this Sunday for a special presentation by local author, Karen Treiger, whose book Standing on the Crack: The Legacy of Five Jewish Families from Seattle’s Gilded Age was published in August. Blending Pacific Northwest history with deeply personal family narratives, Karen traces the journeys of her ancestors who immigrated from Europe to Seattle and Portland between 1874 and 1913.

Karen was born in Seattle and educated at Barnard College and New York University Law School --where she was editor-in-chief of NYU Law Review. She has been named to the Jewish Book Council Author’s Network, the Seattle Holocaust Center for Humanity Speaker’s Bureau, and served on the University of Washington Advisory Council for the Extension Writing Program.

Sunday, October 19th at 1 pm PT
Register here: https://bit.ly/48vbq8V

10/10/2025

The SGS 2025 Fall Seminar Starts This Weekend
The wait is over—our Fall Seminar kicks off this Saturday, and we are thrilled to DNA expert Dr. Blaine Bettinger to the Seattle Genealogical Society.

If you are just beginning to explore genetic genealogy or are already experienced in using DNA for research, Blaine will deliver four fresh, cutting-edge lectures packed with tools, strategies, and insights to take your research further:

• DNA-Based Relationship Estimators & Analyzers [NEW]
• Using Autosomal DNA for 18th and 19th Century Mysteries
• Understanding DNA-Based Traits
• Are You Doing Everything?

Seminar Schedule:
Saturday, October 11 | 9:00 AM – Noon PT
Sunday, October 12 | 1:00 – 4:00 PM PT
Live via Zoom (recordings available to registrants for a limited time)
Don’t miss our DNA-related door prizes throughout the weekend.

Registration: https://bit.ly/4gPVPmA
$55 General Public | $40 SGS Members
There is still time to grab your spot. Do not miss this weekend of DNA learning with one of the best in the field.

Discover our public research library, unique databases and educational opportunities. SGS offers support and resources to aid research both locally and in the world wide genealogical community.

10/10/2025

New Transcription SIG Forming at SGS!

Love history? Enjoy deciphering handwriting—or want to give it a try? Join our new in-person Transcription Special Interest Group (SIG) at the Seattle Genealogical Society.
We will gather monthly at the SGS Library to transcribe and tag historical documents together, rotating through federal, state, and local records. First up: Revolutionary War Pension Records — one of the National Archives’ largest Citizen Archivist missions.

Interest Meeting
Date: Wednesday, October 15
Time: 6:00 PM PDT
Location: SGS Library 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Seattle, Suite 302
Questions? Contact: Betsey Cotter: cotterbetsey@gmail.com

Bring your curiosity (and maybe your reading glasses) we will provide the snacks.

No transcription experience needed. Learn more, ask questions, and help shape this brand-new SIG.

10/10/2025

Ready to Start—or Refresh—Your Genealogy Journey?

Curious about how to begin, where to find the best records, or how to make sense of DNA results? This fall, SGS is offering a Beginning Genealogy course designed both for those just getting started and for experienced researchers who want to sharpen their skills. Build (or rebuild) a strong foundation for your family history research in a supportive, structured setting.
Choose Your Series:
Wednesday Mornings – Oct 15, 22, 29 & Nov 5 | 10:00–11:30 AM
Thursday Evenings – Oct 16, 23, 30 & Nov 6 | 7:00–8:30 PM

Optional 5th Session: In-person library tour & one-on-one research help at SGS (week of Nov 10).
Fee: $80 (SGS members $60)
Register here: http://bit.ly/4gZd84s
Instructor: Cecellia Rogers

Discover our public research library, unique databases and educational opportunities. SGS offers support and resources to aid research both locally and in the world wide genealogical community.

09/27/2025

The SGS 2025 Fall Seminar is quickly approaching—and we are thrilled to welcome internationally recognized DNA expert Dr. Blaine Bettinger to Seattle Genealogical Society!

Whether you are new to DNA or already deep into genetic genealogy, Blaine will bring you the latest tools and insights in FOUR fresh and exciting lectures:
DNA-Based Relationship Estimators & Analyzers [NEW]
Using Autosomal DNA for 18th and 19th Century Mysteries
Understanding DNA-Based Traits
Are You Doing Everything?

Saturday, October 11 (9 am–noon PT)
Sunday, October 12 (1–4 pm PT)
Live via Zoom (recordings available to registrants for a limited time)
🎟 Registration: https://bit.ly/4gPVPmA
$55 (general public)
$40 (SGS members)

09/09/2025

TOUR THE MOHAI ATRIUM WITH SGS
After a summer break, SGS field trips return with a tour of the atrium at the Museum of History and Industry. Join SGS at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 for this exciting look at Seattle's history.

A museum guide will utilize several of the largest artifacts in the atrium to trace some of the tensions and contradictions of expansion and industry in Seattle. This includes a focus on the experiences of working people as the city rapidly grew in the late 19th and 20th centuries.There are 5 stops on the tour with several handouts used as tools for discussion and investigation. The guide will share facts about the artifacts, engage in storytelling, and also have discussion questions for the group. This will be a conversational and active tour, rather than simply lecture based.

Additionally, the tour will include an overview of the kinds of materials in the MOHAI library and collections, as well as how to book research time at the library and access online collections.

Optional lunch at noon at the Lakefront Pavilion (the museum café, which is to the left of the admissions desk, past the museum store). Bring your own lunch or purchase from the café’s menu.

Registration fee: $30 non-members (SGS Members $20)

Limited to 25 participants, so sign up now.

Join the Tour: https://tinyurl.com/SGS-Sep-Field-Trip-Sign-Up

08/08/2025

Don't let this be you! Join us August 20 at 6pm. Register here: https://bit.ly/45GlNVr

06/13/2025

Second Saturday is tomorrow June 14! Join us on Zoom to hear a lecture on "Genealogical Proof for the Everyday Genealogist." Free.

Register at https://seagensoc.org/

Discover our public research library, unique databases and educational opportunities. SGS offers support and resources to aid research both locally and in the world wide genealogical community.

06/13/2025

We love talking to groups about how to do great genealogy research at any level. Are you a part of a community or organization that would like to host an SGS speaker? Contact us at volunteers@seagensoc.org.

We were honored to host Seattle Genealogical Society & Library President Kathy Weber as she gave a presentation about the Genealogical Society, family research, and how she discovered her own family history! Our residents are excited to work with SGS so they can pass on knowledge of their family's roots to future generations 😊

05/10/2025

Join us for the SGS Second Saturday Series: Jewish Genealogy 101!

Date: Saturday, May 10th
Time: 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Location: Online via Zoom

Wherever you are in your Jewish family history journey, this is a session you won’t want to miss. Whether you’re just getting started or already deep into your research, this program will offer practical tips for documenting your findings and provide meaningful insight into the cultural and historical forces that shaped your ancestors—and still shape us today.

We’re pleased to welcome Rhoda Miller, Ed.D., CG®, as our speaker. A Certified Genealogist since 1998, Rhoda specializes in Jewish research and Holocaust studies and brings decades of experience and passion to her work.

Free and open to all. Invite a friend and come ready to be inspired.
Register here: https://bit.ly/4mfMXci