If your ancestor lived in the Washington Territory before it became the nation’s 42nd state on November 11, 1889, you may be eligible for a Washington Pioneer certificate. Or if your ancestors arrived a little later — before December 31, 1900 — you can get a First Citizen certificate. What a great gift for yourself and your family members!

We began the Washington State Centennial Pioneer Certificate Program in 1984 in anticipation of the state’s centennial admission to the union in 1889. The initial certificates were issued to applicants who could prove their ancestors were in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889. Those descendants’ names, almost 18,000, were printed in a two-volume set of books entitled “Washington Pioneers” in 1992. A third volume, published in 1993, included Pioneers and First Citizens (those in the state on or before December 31, 1900). The three original volumes are out of print, but an index is available here. WSGS members have access to family lineages in the Members’ Only section of the website.

Pioneer and First Citizen Certificates are still being issued, although they are published only on the WSGS website at this time. If you can prove your ancestor was in Washington prior to November 11, 1889, you may be eligible to purchase a Pioneer Certificate. If your ancestor was in Washington on or before December 31, 1900, you may be eligible for a First Citizen Certificate. More information, including resources to prove residency, is available in the Pioneer and First Citizen Program brochure. An application and instructions are available here.

Tuesday, November 5, 2024, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm virtual via Zoom

This month we will finish reviewing the free Legacy Family Tree software video “Legacy 9 Unlocked (part 1): Your First Few Tips”. We watched the first part on Oct 1 so this month on Nov 5 we will watch the second half. Even though Legacy 10 was just released in Jun 2024, almost all the features shown in this video are still in the current program.  If you are thinking about trying Legacy or are currently using it, this video can teach or remind you how to properly use the software and be successful with your research. If you have any suggestions for future topics, please send them in.

This is our monthly meeting to share tips & tricks, problems & solutions. Sometimes we will watch videos or share our screens to aid in learning more about using Legacy Family Tree software.

Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the learning. If you are just thinking about trying Legacy for the first time, you’ve been using it for a year or two or you are an old pro with many years of experience using Legacy this is the group for you.

We look forward to meeting with you, every month on the First Tuesday at 7:00 PM Pacific Time

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Monthly Calendar Reminder: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYpfuyuqDovHNwtBgxtQjWKOjDQ8k5Q9bPD/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqqjIvHNKUtR-PRpwQBor4Z-7wpn5Ygo1KiD3iGzRiaDTdGehmA-p0RemJ

Join Zoom Meeting:
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Meeting ID: 824 9566 1568
Passcode: 715731

One tap mobile:
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Meeting ID: 824 9566 1568
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Find your local number:
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From October 29 to November 1, 2024, MyHeritage is offering free access to our vast collection of death, burial, cemetery, and obituary records. With nearly 1.2 billion records in 435 collections, it’s the perfect chance to dive into the stories that connect us to generations before us.

Search Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries now

Death records are incredibly valuable resources in genealogy. They often provide essential details, including birth and death dates, family connections, last addresses, and heartfelt obituaries that add personality to each name. Beyond these, however, are other rich details that can deepen your understanding of your ancestors’ lives. For example, a death certificate might reveal occupation, marital status, burial location, and even the names of the deceased’s parents and their birthplaces, providing significant insights that link you to earlier generations.

By the way, the MyHeritage DNA kit is also currently on sale for Halloween…

Read more about the free death records on our blog, and feel free to use the above graphics when spreading the word.

Remember to share this news with your friends and followers so they don’t miss the chance to explore these records for free and enjoy a great price on the MyHeritage DNA kit!

Are you curious about the free website WikiTree? South King County Genealogical Society is hosting an interest group for those who are interested in a site that focuses on collaboration, high-quality, well-sourced research, and telling our relatives’ stories.

Whether you are just curious or an experienced user, we welcome you. Let’s together learn how to use all the strengths of the WikiTree website to present our research and collaborate with other users around the globe.

Subscribe here: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Wikitree-SIG

Also of interest may be an upcoming session: Monday 14 October at 1pm: Genetic Genealogy/DNA Interest Group will discuss  DNA Features at WikiTree. Register at https://www.skcgs.org for a Zoom invitation.