About

Joyce’s favorite thing about genealogy is digitizing research and reclaiming her Luxembourg and Canadian citizenship.

Joyce, a California native with roots in a Washington State pioneer family, moved to Kitsap County in 2013. She has a BS in Business Administration and a MA in Education. She has worked for over 30 years in higher education as a Professor of Computer Technology, Business and Accounting. She has also taken on the past roles of BIGS Treasurer, BIGS Facebook Manager, and additionally helped with BIGS special events. Joyce has enjoyed digitizing her mother’s over 35 years of family research, as well as her own research, and enjoyed helping family reclaim their Luxembourg and Canadian citizenships.

TBA

Holly’s favorite thing about genealogy is researching family history to solve mysteries and understand connections to people and places.

Holly and her husband moved to Bainbridge Island from Kansas City in 2016 to be closer to their grandchildren in Seattle. She worked for 35 years as a pediatric geneticist in what she describes as an “interesting and challenging career.” Over the years, she has been the recipient of many boxes of family photos and documents, which she has slowly succeeded at getting organized and preserved. After joining BIGS in 2017, Holly found it a welcoming group where she enjoyed learning with and from other members. She has served as the BIGS Secretary since 2020, where she provides behind-the-scenes support that helps keep the organization active and meaningful for everyone.

Charlie’s favorite thing about genealogy is learning why his ancestors moved across the country and their occupations.

Charlie’s connection to Bainbridge Island history is deeply rooted in local journalism. His parents, David and Verda Averill, owned and operated the Bainbridge Review for more than 26 years. Growing up in the newsroom, Averill witnessed history being preserved in real time. He later contributed as a reporter himself and carried forward a lifelong commitment to civic engagement, including two terms on the Bainbridge Island City Council and long-standing service with the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club. He has also been involved in the Bainbridge History Museum as a regular volunteer and board member. Charlie’s paternal ancestors arrived in New England from England in the 1630s and he has been working diligently to learn more about them.

Joleen’s favorite thing about genealogy is researching and teaching.

Joleen was born and raised in Seattle and North Kitsap, and with the exception of an 18-year stint in Missouri, this has always been her home. She is a mother of nine children and the grandmother of many more. She has been interested in family history as long as she can remember and was once asked why there were no pictures of living people on her walls! Joleen became a professional genealogist in 2002 and founded her own genealogy business “Genealogy Your Way.” She has been given opportunities to speak nationally about genealogy and research for people all over the world. Additionally, she is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and many family history societies.

Ann’s favorite thing about genealogy is discovering new and important details about her and her husband’s families.

Ann grew up in Beaumont, Texas and moved to California when she was 15 years old. She graduated from the University of California Berkeley as a history major, spent several years teaching, and received her MA in School Administration from California Lutheran University. She began her 47-year career as a Kindergarten teacher, moved into school principalships, and then district-level positions. She finished her career at the California State University Channel Islands, where she worked to train new teachers. Ann wrote and published a book titled “A Ribbon Untied”, which details her journey of researching to find her husband’s family. She joined a BIGS writing group, which lead her to join BIGS to help continue to search for details about her and her husband’s families. In addition to being the current Director of Special Events with BIGS, Ann also volunteers as a Docent at the Bloedel Reserve.

Ashley’s favorite thing about genealogy is researching new ancestors and finding familial connections to historic figures.

Ashley Riley (she/her) is a native of New York and moved to Washington in 2019. She has a MA in Social Policy, BA in Political Science, and previously worked for Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. Now a stay-at-home mom, she enjoys spending her free time volunteering in the community, exploring cemeteries and preserving historic headstones. She is the founder of the Bainbridge Grave Folk page on Facebook, Historian and Junior Membership Committee Chair of the Elizabeth Ellington Chapter NSDAR, and was awarded the 2025 History Hero award from the Bainbridge History Museum.

Betty’s favorite thing about genealogy is the “detective work,” traveling to the Netherlands, Wales and England to trace ancestral footsteps, and researching in their libraries and archives.

A 40-year resident of Bainbridge Island, Betty grew up in the small town of Polson, Montana, located in the western part of the state. She graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor degree in Education. In her lengthy career with the Environmental Protection Agency, she managed a variety of projects, programs and teams. Upon her retirement in 2007, she joined BIGS. Within a year, she had joined the BIGS board serving in a variety of roles, including Treasurer, President and Director of Education. She leads and participates in many BIGS events and also volunteers for Island Volunteer Caregivers.

Michelle

Susie’s favorite thing about genealogy is building family trees with new and seasoned researchers.

Susie is a lifelong native of the Pacific Northwest, her family having resided here since 1875. She has made her home on Bainbridge Island with her husband and two adopted children since 2011. Before staying home to raise her children, she worked as a massage therapist, tour director and school bus driver. She has volunteered with mental health programs as a “parent with lived experience,” and also volunteers with BIGS as a Greeter and at TreeBuilder events on the first Saturday of every month. She finds genealogy extremely rewarding as she uncovers stories and pieces together her family history.