Welcome to our website!

 
Our purpose is to stimulate a popular interest in family history, to seek genealogical and historical knowledge, to preserve and perpetuate the records of our ancestors, to aid and encourage individual members as well as non-members in compiling their family histories, and to collect and publish genealogical source material. 

Meeting Info
TPCGS monthly meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month, September through June. During COVID or inclement weather, meetings are held virtually utilizing the Zoom platform. The membership meetings are now in person as well; the location for each meeting will be on the website, and included in the email invitations that are sent to members before the meetings. The Meetings begin at 6:00 pm with announcements, follwowed by the main presentation.  
Guests are always welcome! 

Help Wanted: Annual Election
The November election is coming up quickly and we still need members to serve in the positions of VP for Programs and VP of Policies and Procedures. Melody Stepp has written an article describing what the VP for Programs does and how serving in that role can benefit you.
 
 VP for Programs
By Melody Stepp, current VP for Programs

Do you have a passion for genealogy and enjoy organizing events? You can channel that enthusiasm into a position that lets you connect with experts, help shape educational experiences, and make a real impact in our genealogy community. The key goal of Programs VP is finding interesting speakers, other duties are setting up the programs, ensuring that the speakers have the necessary information and equipment as needed, helping promote the program, and completing the documents for compensation.
Internet access has broadened the opportunity for a diverse range of genealogists, historians, and experts from around the world to connect with our society. We also have local speakers that are sought for their presentations across the country. Using established guidelines for the position, and with the help of fellow board members, you can help boost our society’s profile, increase attendance and advance our membership’s genealogical knowledge.

A position benefit for you is the building of your own skills, program planning, negotiation, and public speaking. Another part of the position is planning the year-end holiday party, it’s a great opportunity to work on your event skills. And you’re not alone, there are always people ready to help with all aspects of the job. The board is there to support our goals and each other, and it’s done willingly, with grace and good humor. We do laugh a lot! I recommend this job to anyone willing to try, and just as Tim, Liz, and Jane, and all the rest are there for you, I will be there as well. 
 

 
This year's Virtual Spring Seminar is now over.
Our Speakers, Cyndi Ingle & Cari Taplin, did an excellent job.
Now it it time to prepare for the future.
If you have any ideas, please send them to seminar@tpcgs.org.
 

Featured Website:
Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives: https://www.ggarchives.com/
Ocean Travel, Military, and Immigration Archival Collections
 

 
Haytime
(Photo courtesy of Jean Findlay)

If you don’t know history, you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.
– Michael Crichton
 

 
Do you have historical photographs of the Tacoma-Pierce County area?
Would you like to see them on our website? If so, please send an email to info@tpcgs.org.
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Column Top Image Map - Tacoma-Pierec Area, State of Washington
November 26
7:00 pm
DNA Special Interest Group
At this meeting we will be discussing the recent updates to Ancetry DNA Ethnicity Estimates. Please read the following blog post by Roberta Estes: Ancestry ...

December 3
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Legacy Family Tree Special Interest Group
  This is our monthly meeting to share tips & tricks, problems & solutions. Sometimes we will watch videos or share our screens to aid ...

December 5
7:00 pm
TPCGS Board Meeting
Are you curious about what goes on at the board meetings and can't wait for the meeting minutes to be posted to the forum? ...

December 10
6:00 pm
Holiday Party
Save the Date: Celebrate the Holiday season with friends, food, and fun. More information to come. 

December 11
7:00 pm
Writing Family History
The Writing Family History Special Interest Group (WFH-SIG) supports TPCGS members in documenting, writing, and preserving their family histories—formally or informally. Monthly meetings will provide a ...
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