Eastside Genealogical Society

PO Box 374 • Bellevue, Washington 98009-0374

Eastside Genealogical Society invites you to attend an event or become a member.

Category: Uncategorized

  • German Interest Group – Friday December 5th 12:30 PM

    Eastside Genealogical Society
    German Interest Group

    Presenter: Anette Isaacs
    German born, Anette Isaacs is a Historian and Public Educator who has been presenting programs all over the United States.
    She holds Master’s Degrees in American Studies, Political Science, and History and is currently serving as the Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at FIU (Florida International University) in Miami, FL.

    When: Friday, 5th of December, 2025
    from 12:30 to 2:30 pm PT
    Zoom Registration Required:
    https://tinyurl.com/4jpfbswx

    Topic: Frohe Weihnachten:
    Unwrapping the Charms of German
    Christmas Traditions

    Uncover the rich history and cultural significance behind cherished customs such as the Advent calendar, Christkindlmarkt, and St. Nicholas Day. Delve into the heartwarming tales of the
    Christkind and the festive decoration of the Tannenbaum, while also exploring the delectable delights of traditional holiday treats like Lebkuchen and Stollen.

    Join German Historian Anette Isaacs and journey through time and tradition, exploring how Germany’s unique customs have shaped the magic of Christmas celebrations worldwide.

    More information: Visitors are always welcome.
    Our website is: https://gig.eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org

  • Italian Interest Group – Saturday November 15th 1:30 PM 

    Italian Interest Group

    How Italian Migration Laws Affected Our Ancestors

    DATE: 15-Nov-2025 (Saturday)
    TIME: 1:30 pm (PST)
    TOPIC: How Italian Migration Laws Affected Our Ancestors
    PRESENTER: Victoria Calabrese
    PLACE: Zoom meeting

    If you aren’t a registered member, Click Here for meeting registration.

    Description: How easy was it to emigrate from Italy? What was the process like after one made the decision to leave? This presentation will discuss Italian emigration laws regarding migration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and how these laws influenced our ancestors’ lives. The talk will cover topics such as who could and could not emigrate (and why), what was needed to get a passport, how to buy tickets, and travelling to the port of departure.

    Speaker Bio: Victoria Calabrese received her Ph.D. in modern European history from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. Her research focuses on modern Italian history, gender, migration, and nation building. Her book, Italian Women in Basilicata: Staying Behind but Moving Forward during the Age of Mass Emigration, 1876–1914, was published by Lexington Books in 2022. The book examines women in the southern Italian region of Basilicata and the many ways their lives changed when their husbands emigrated. In addition to the women who remained behind, she has written articles on honor and infanticide, and on traveling child musicians. Victoria is an avid genealogist, focusing on southern Italian genealogy research. She is currently an adjunct professor at Lehman College, teaching courses in early modern and modern European history.

  • Family Tree Maker SIG – Friday November 21st 10:30 AM

    Meeting Friday November 21, 2025 10:30 AM PT

    The Family Tree Maker SIG meets on the 3rd Friday of each month from 10:30AM to 12:30PM Pacific time via Zoom. (Check this website for information on each upcoming meeting date.) The next meeting will be on Friday, November 21, 2025. If you would like to attend and are not on the SIG e-mail distribution list, please send an e-mail to ftmsig@eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org to request the meeting link. The Family Tree Maker SIG does not meet in December.

  • Genealogy Book SIG – Friday November 14th 10:00 AM

    Eastside Genealogical Society’s Genealogy Book SIG will meet Friday November 14th at 10 AM PT via Zoom.

    The book for this month is The Marriage Certificate by Stephen Molyneux

    Email Kimberly Nichols at vicepresident@eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org to request a zoom link and be added to the email list.

  • General Meeting and Speaker – November 13th 6:30 PM

    DAR and SAR Explained + Researching Your
    Revolutionary War Ancestor

    Our speakers: Kimberly Nichols and Rob Sexton
    Thursday, November 13, 2025
    Networking and announcements at 6:30 pm Pacific; program at 7:00 pm
    Via Zoom

    About our program: The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) are two long-standing lineage societies dedicated to preserving the legacy of Revolutionary War ancestors. Members of these organizations trace their ancestry back to individuals who played a role in the American Revolution. Both DAR and SAR are committed to promoting patriotism, education, and community service. Join us to learn more about these distinguished groups and discover how to research your Revolutionary War ancestor.

    Everyone is welcome—we hope you will join us.

    For more information about EGS, visit our website at eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org.

  • German Interest Group – Friday November 7th 12:30 PM

    Presenter:  Roland Geiger

    Roland Geiger is a regional historian and genealogist, as well as a tour guide in his hometown of St. Wendel, Germany. He has been active in both fields for over 30 years and has rarely focused on a specific area, always curious to look beyond his immediate sphere of expertise to discover connections and broader contexts. 

    When: Friday, 7th of November, 2025 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm PT
    Zoom Registration Required: https://tinyurl.com/3ffspkt7

    Topic: About Civil Marriage in Germany in 19th Century

    In Germany, there are two types of marriage – a civil ceremony performed at the registry office, and a religious ceremony. For over 200 years on the western side of the Rhine River, it was decreed that a civil ceremony must always precede a religious wedding. On the eastern side, the old system remained in place, whereby Catholics could only marry in the church. Protestants never married in church and entered into a formal contract, which was then celebrated in church before the congregation. In his presentation on civil marriage in Germany, Roland Geiger explores this topic in more detail.

    More information: Visitors are always welcome. Our website is: https://gig.eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org

  • Italian Interest Group – Thursday October 18th 1:30 PM 

    ZOOM MEETING

    DATE: 18-Oct-2025 (Saturday)
    TIME: 1:30 pm (PDT)
    TOPIC: In Peace and War – Italian Military Research
    PRESENTER: Joel Cole

    Click Here for meeting registration

    Description: This presentation will cover the wealth of genealogical information available in Italian military records, which have existed since Italian unification in the 19th century and in some places as far back as 1792. The records discussed will include conscription lists (Liste di Leva) detailing biographical and physical information for all eligible males, and military service files (Fogli Matricolari) tracking a soldier’s service history, promotions, and assignments. Additionally, four other lesser-known Italian military records will be covered. Since these records are organized by military district and province rather than by town, they are especially useful for tracing ancestors whose specific hometown is unknown. The presentation will guide researchers on accessing these records, whether by requesting them from a provincial State Archive (Archivio di Stato) in Italy, searching digitized records on sites like FamilySearch or Portale Antenati, or understanding the location of military archives based on the time period.

    Presenter Bio: Joel Cole was born and raised in Padova, Italy. He has been involved with Italian Family History for over 30 years. He accompanied his father Trafford for his first genealogical research in Maniago, Italy, when he was 15 and since then he has been fascinated by family history. He has worked as a researcher for over 25 years, visiting almost every State Archive in Italy and almost 1,000 parish archives. He is familiar with paleography having taken several classes in Italy, and with Latin documents, having studied it for over 10 years. Joel has presented in many international genealogical conferences about Italian Family History and has worked for years for private companies performing research in all of Italy, consulting Civil records, Parish and Diocesan Catholic records, Notary records and many more sources. In 2015 he moved to Utah covering several roles for FamilySearch. He is currently the content strategist for Southern Europe, including Italy. Joel’s research specialties are: Italy, Southern Switzerland and Istria-Croatia. Expert at deciphering ancient Italian and Latin documents.

  • Family Tree Maker SIG – Friday October 24th 10:30 AM

    Meeting Friday October 24, 2025 10:30 AM PT

    Note that for this meeting only, we will meet on the 4th Friday.

    The Family Tree Maker SIG meets on the 3rd Friday of each month from 10:30AM to 12:30PM Pacific time via Zoom. (Check this website for information on each upcoming meeting date.) The next meeting will be on Friday, October 24, 2025. If you would like to attend and are not on the SIG e-mail distribution list, please send an e-mail to ftmsig@eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org to request the meeting link. The Family Tree Maker SIG does not meet in December.

  • General Meeting and Speaker – Thursday October 9th 6:30 PM 

    Who Needed It Anyway?
    Getting Around the Missing 1890 Census

    Our speaker: Sara Cochran
    Thursday, October 9, 2025
    Networking and announcements at 6:30 pm Pacific; program at 7:00 pm
    Via Zoom

    About our speaker: Sara is a full-time professional genealogist with thirty years of research experience. Her research has taken her to nearly every state in the USA and Ireland. She especially enjoys breaking down brick walls, discovering the stories of black sheep ancestors, and helping individuals preserve their photographic legacy. You can find her online at TheSkeletonWhisperer.com.

    About our program: The loss of the 1890 Federal census is a source of great frustration for American Genealogists, but all hope is not lost! Learn strategies and gather tips for success in locating your family in other records between the 1880 and 1900 Federal censuses.


    Everyone is welcome—we hope you will join us.

  • What’s in Your Attic – Saturday, October 11th 1:30PM

    Eastside Genealogical Society and the Bellevue Library Present

    What’s in Your Attic – Is There A Story There?

    Presentation by Jill Morelli

    “Beyond the Binder: My Self-Publishing Journey”

    Followed by an Heirloom Show & Tell

    Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025

    Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m.

    Location: Room 1 in the Bellevue Library, 

    1111 – 110th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA

    What is it? Speaker Jill Morelli will give us a presentation, followed by several EGS members sharing their publishing experience, and then an Heirloom Show & Tell.

    You can participate by coming and listening to the presentation, and hear others talk about the items they bring.  Or you can also bring an heirloom to share!

    Jill Morelli is a certified genealogist, a writer, lecturer and co-founder of the online Applied Genealogy Institute. She has lectured nationally as well as written articles for major genealogical publications. She is the author of Journeys of the Forgotten: The Orphans of Hamilton County, Iowa. Jill is the past president of the Seattle Genealogical Society, program director for the Puget Sound-APG chapter, and a member of many local and national genealogical societies. 

    Want to share an item? Questions? 

    Email Kimberly at vicepresident@eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org

    Reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities is available by request. Email access@kcls.org at least seven days before the event. Automated closed captioning is always available for online events.