Seattle Genealogical Society

SGS100 Centennial Year

The SGS100 Co-Chairs, Lisa Oberg and Jill Morelli, want to thank all the volunteers who helped with the SGS100 celebration and made it a success. It was a year long series of events whoch showcased the theme of the event--"Our Heritage: Our Future."
 
On 18 October 1923, a group of eight individuals met in downtown Seattle for the purpose of establishing a society dedicated to genealogy. Styled after the California society, this new society appears to be the first that was city-based in the country that is still operational. We can't help but wonder what the founders would make of the Seattle Genealogical Society today-- meeting by Zoom, engaged in DNA research, and able to connect with cousins worldwide with a few clicks.
 
Here are the activities of this celebratory year:
  • Kick off! On January 14, 2023, Dr. Bill Woodward, SPU emeritus history professor, spoke on Will the 2020s Roar Like the 1920s?     
  • The SGS100 Family History Writing Contest The 100th Anniversary Theme was "Family Artifact," with winning essays published in the fall SGS Journal.
        1st place: Caitlyn Oiye-Coon
       2nd place: Deborah Lambo
       3rd place: Lisa White
       Honorable Mention: Ron Chan, Gary Robbins
  • SGS100 Writers C(r)amp: April 20-23. SGS sponsored a writer's retreat at Friday Harbor for those working on their family histories, certification portfolio, and/or other writing projects. 
  • SGS100 Preservation Seminar with Denise Levenick, The Family Curator Denise focused on preserving our family history; from caring for physical artifacts to managing our digitial files.
  • 1923 Ice Cream Social in the Park! The social was held in Meridian Park behind the Good Shepherd Center. 
  • Surprise Birthday party for the Good Shepherd Center tenants
  • The SGS100 Birthday Party in Dunn Gardens. Over 60 people attended the event to celebrate the 100th birthday (and yes, we had cake and toasted the Society!) Jim Secan, President, hosted the event and gave a glimpse into the future of genealogy. Kathy Weber highlighted some of the historic context of the founding of the society. Knute Berger was our keynote speaker, speaking on what makes the PNW unique.
Lisa Oberg and Jill Morelli thank all that participated throughout the year in bringing this year-long event to the membership. We couldn't have done it without you!
 
To keep abreast of all SGS activities be sure to subscribe to the monthly SGS eNews! 
 
Jill Morelli
Lisa Oberg