You may be missing out on 30% of genealogy discoveries if you’re not digging into history and genealogy newsletters, journals and magazines. Biographical profiles, stories about ancestral churches or schools, how-to tips for researching a locale, indexes and transcripts of local records are all among those treasures. Learn to find and access this content using PERSI, the Periodical Source Index, and other resources. See how to navigate PERSI on the new Allen County Public Library website portal, and success stories that can inspire your own foray into periodical research.
Sunny Jane Morton is a Contributing Editor at Family Tree Magazine, Content Director at YourDNAGuide.com, past Editor of Ohio Genealogy News and a blogger for FamilySearch.org. Book credits include the NGS award-winning How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records (co-author with Harold Henderson, CG) and Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy. She runs the Book Club at the Virtual Genealogical Association. Find her at www.sunnymorton.com.
Registration is required via the Chicago Genealogical Society website under Events. Registration will close 1 hour prior to the event. The meet-up will take place virtually via ZOOM. All people registered will receive an email the morning of the event with log-in instructions and a link. This information is not to be shared.
Note: This webinar is FREE for CGS members. Non-Members can register for the event for $10. No refunds.
At some point in life, we genealogists recognize that we will sooner or later pass from “this mortal coil.” What happens to our life’s work of genealogy software, photos, documents, and miscellaneous related materials? Two options: do nothing and throw fate to the wind, or, plan for its preservation. Many extant articles provide detailed instructions on how to designate the future of your genealogy materials after you pass away. Usually, they require a great input of your time and mental acumen. In my talk, I provide a precise and simple solution, namely, fill out a one-page form and you are done. Overcome inertia!!! It takes only one hour. I will outline the issue and walk attendees through the short process. It is doable! I hope everyone will recognize that genealogy estate planning can be simple!
Dr. Thomas F. Willer is currently a long-time member of the Lake County Illinois Genealogy Society. He discovered genealogy as a natural progression from his college degrees in history. Family lore and history seemed a natural orientation. Like many genealogists, he interviewed family members. His father-in-law lived to be one hundred years old and had an utterly unbelievable memory. He was born in 1917 and recalled that his mother inherited some money in 1926. She and her husband decided to build a kitchen onto their small frame house in Kewanee, Illinois. I asked him if he knew the name of the carpenter who did the work. Although only nine years old, he recalled the name of the handyman. His amazing recollection energized Dr. Willer into serious genealogy investigation.
Gathering statistics is the heart and soul of a genealogist. We all want to share our thrilling detective work with family and friends. Creating software documentation is the first step. Next, many genealogists write articles on aspects of their research. Dr. Willer has published several genealogy-related articles, including “In Search of Lemuel Holsclaw,” Lake County Illinois Genealogy Society Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 3, Pg 85-91. He has given a few genealogy programs, including one where he dressed up as Abraham Lincoln and delivered a talk entitled: “How My Family Saved Abraham Lincoln’s Life.” This lifelong adventure led him to contemplate how to preserve a lifetime of research. To help fellow genealogists, this perception led to the creation of his latest program: “Genealogy Estate Planning Made Simple.”
**Note this is our Annual Members Meeting** The Webinar will be recorded and available on the CGS website in the members only section.
Open Mic Meet-Up - CGS Members Only Event
Join us to share your discovery or watch and listen to others share their successes. You have a research problem? Come and ask the group. Maybe someone will have a suggestion to further your research. A great opportunity to learn!
This meet-up will have a host to run the Zoom and to give the opportunity for everyone to share as time permits. If you plan to share a discovery or problem, please keep it to 5 minutes or less to allows others to also share.
**This Meet-Up is not recorded"
Picture from Library of Congress
Mt. Greenwood Cemetery Walk
Our Chicago Genealogical Society is offering to lead a cemetery walk through the beautiful Mt. Greenwood Cemetery, the entrance at 2900 West 111th on the west side of Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood. While one might think that this cemetery, consecrated in 1879, catered just to far southwest side residents for the most part, such is not the case. This park-like setting-style cemetery had its own railroad station. The Grand Trunk railroad, which had a downtown terminal, offered rail service to the cemetery for both the mourned and the mourners.
We will be walking through rolling hills and groves of native oaks. The grounds were formed by glaciers and at one time the west beach of glacial Lake Michigan. Among the sites worth seeing is that of the area where members of the "Benevolent Protective Order of Elks" are buried. Among many other interesting individuals buried there is Robert Haslam, an actual "Pony Express" rider. Many other Interesting original monuments and statues will also be visited and interpreted. Our cemetery walk guide will be Craig Pfannkuche.
Registration is required via the CGS website and will close Friday, 12 July, at noon CST. Attendees will receive an email after registration closes with a cemetery map detailing information on the meeting spot.
If you cannot attend, we plan on live-streaming some of the cemetery walk that morning on Facebook so check it out.
Member Gravestone Photo Request
***CGS Members*** The CGS Cemetery Committee is offering to take gravestone photos for members at the Mt Greenwood Cemetery. One request per member please. Please first check FindAGrave and BillionGraves websites to see if a photo is already available. Depending on the number of requests received, it may not be possible for volunteers to complete every one. Also, volunteers may not be successful in finding the requested graves. If the grave is located, you will be emailed photo(s) of the gravestone, and CGS will also load the images on FindAGrave.
Provide the name, dates, and location (section, plot) if known. You can contact the cemetery office (773-233-0136) and request information. Photo requests will be taken between May 1 and June 30. Send your request by June 30th to CGS info@chicagogenealogy.org Attn: Mt Greenwood Cemetery Walk Gravestone Photo Request.
In the past eight years, CGS has offered its members two projects led by Marsha Peterson-Maass that focused on research in today's U.S. military resources --- with the goals of building a detailed bio for specific veterans, and also finding their portrait photos. Throughout the years, our researchers developed military research strategies (primarily based on finding WWI, WWII and Vietnam records) that Marsha is delighted to share. Topics will include: veteran's biography + timeline; first things first; working with resources online + on site; resources in genealogy databases; often overlooked resources like military histories + maps; newspapers; checking with veterans' groups; social media and more. Since National Purple Heart Day will occur two days later (on August 7th), Marsha will discuss general purple heart medal information + how to order a replacement if your family can't find your hero's original. And Marsha will conclude with a brief case study highlighting the records that built a Chicago WWII veteran's identity and biography.
Marsha Peterson-Maass is a genealogy researcher, educator and author. She has taught at Chicago's Newberry Library for over 20 years, at two local community colleges and has lectured in genealogy topics at many Chicagoland libraries and genealogy groups. Marsha published the Fundamentals of Genealogy® textbook series which she teaches from. For eight years, she led a research team for Purple Hearts Reunited that has returned hundreds of lost military Purple Heart medals to veterans or their families at no cost. Marsha is also a Board Member of the Chicago Genealogical Society.
Note: This webinar is FREE for everyone!
Chicago Genealogical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Address: PO Box 1160, Chicago, IL 60690-1160
