ARLINGTON — The first day of the annual Northwest Genealogy Conference drew more than 200 attendees to the Byrnes Performing Arts Center Wednesday, but conference chairwoman Kathy Reece Stuehrenberg expects the event’s total attendance to top out at more than 300 by its final day Aug. 20.
Stuehrenberg reported that folks have come from as far as Tennessee and South Carolina, but most hail from other parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and a few Californians.
The big draw this year, as in most years, is DNA, with Blaine Bettinger, whom Stuehrenberg described as “one of the foremost national experts” on the subject, speaking Saturday.
“We’re focusing more on family histories and stories this year,” Stuehrenberg said. “People tend to think of genealogy more in terms of names and dates, but we want to help people tell their families’ stories. We’re even offering advice on how to bring the data together, write it up and publish it for others to read.”
Although many of the attendees are experienced genealogists, albeit perhaps only as hobbyists, Stuehrenberg noted that Beth Foulk’s opening-day talk on basic genealogy techniques packed the PAC.
“My goals are to inspire, enlighten, encourage and give foundational information to allow others to become successful at genealogy, which I hope leads to a lifetime passion for them,” Foulk said. “What I love about genealogy is the discovery of it. I learn great stories and meet great people along the way in my journeys.”
“Many of us didn’t start out in genealogy by taking classes, so even if we’ve done it for a while, we’re still interested in going back and seeing how we should have done it,” Stuehrenberg said.
Not that there’s ever a shortage of new things to learn about genealogy, since Stuehrenberg estimated that the DNA field yields new advances monthly.
“There’s also innovations to the technology of tracing and tracking your genealogy,” Stuehrenberg said. “With sites like Ancestry, genealogy is now a part of social media as well.”
This year’s conference includes a touch of whimsy as well, with a dress-up day Aug. 19 that’s encouraged attendees to don historically authentic garb ranging from Scottish Highlander kilts to period Victorian dresses. Arlington attendee Anne Grimm picked out an ensemble to match that of Lady Constance Touchet De Whitney, her 14th great-grandmother, who was born in 1443.
It’s still possible to register for the conference at the PAC on the days you wish to attend. Go to the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society’s website at stillygen.org for details.
Meanwhile, society librarian Steve Baylor invited the public to visit the society’s library even after the conference has completed. It is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Baylor recently received a dozen boxes of genealogy books, that he’s still only halfway through cataloging. It’s the first time that he’s catalogued more than 150 new books within a single year, building the library’s total collection to more than 6,000 books.
“One person donated books that detailed the history of Fulton County, Illinois, where my family is from, so I had to slow down and see if I could find my relatives in there,” Baylor laughed. “We’ve gotten in a lot of new books on Missouri, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Kansas.”
In addition to the society’s library at 6111 188th Place NE, Baylor touted its study groups, 10 a.m. every Thursday at the library, and its monthly member meetings, 1 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month in Hadley Hall at the Arlington Boys & Girls Club.
“It’s an opportunity to broaden your educations and bounce research ideas off your fellow genealogists,” Baylor said. “If you have any interest at all in genealogy, it’s a can’t-miss proposition to come check us out.”
