Monday, June 22, 2009

Free Genealogy Forms


Getting organized and knowing how to address government agencies and organizations can help you get quicker, more effective results. Family Tree Magazine has created forms that can help you access and organize your family history information.

Illinois State Genealogical Society: Fall Conference


Register now for Piecing Together the Puzzle of Our Past, the Fall Conference of the Illinois State Genealogical Society.


The Conference takes place October 24, 2009 at the Elgin Community College University and Business Center, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.


This year's featured speaker is Michael John Neill.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

NSGS Meeting


Join the North Suburban Genealogical Society for a tour of the oldest log cabin in Cook County—Schmidt-Burnham log house in Crow Island Woods of Winnetka, Illinois. In addition to the tour they are having an old-fashioned picnic where members will share recipes of their ancestors and the stories behind the recipes.

When: July 11, 2009 11 a.m.
Where: Crow Island Woods 1112 Willow in Winnetka, IL. Skokie Blvd north to Hibbard. Hibbard north to Willow. East to 1112.
Fee: $10 for picnic supplies and tour. Bring a dish to share. Please register before 7/1/2009.
Register with: Lynn Heniken 702 Waukegan #201 Glenview, IL w/fee for picnic

Or call Jim Boyle 847 401 2579 w/questions.

Best Genealogy Web Sites



Family Tree Magazine celebrates the 10th annual installment of its 101 Best Web Sites.


They are marking the occasion by honoring 10 categories of 10 noteworthy sites each (plus one to make 101).


The ten categories are:

--10 Best Web Sites to See Dead People
--10 Best Web Sites for Vital Records
--10 Best Web Sites for Storing and Sharing
--10 Best Big Web Sites
--10 Best Web Sites for Maps
--10 Best Web Sites for Local Searches
--10 Best Web Sites for International Searches
--10 Best Cutting-edge Web Sites
--10 Best Web Sites for Military Research
--10 Best Virtual Library Web Sites

What's the one Web resource in a class by itself? Ancestry.com $$, of course. You can use it for free at the Glenview Public Library as Ancestry Library Edition.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

New Genealogy Book at GPL: Chicago Cemetery Records

Chicago Cemetery Records, 1847-1863 : Sexton's Reports and Certificates, Treasurer Receipts, Deeds, and Undertakers' Reports / Chicago Genealogical Society, c2008.

This book was made possible by the discovery in 1984 of Chicago City Council proceedings which had beem thought destroyed in the Fire of 1871. It includes background on early cemeteries in Chicago, maps, reproductions of sample documents, and chronological listings by type of document. There is a name index, and a bibliography. five appendices contain details about ward boundaries in various years, lots sales from Oak Woods Cemetery, records from Old Catholic Cemetery by Helen Sclair, the Illinois Regional Archival Depository system, and addresses of Repositories.

Internet Genealogy Tip

Have you tried using Google Alerts?

Google Alerts will search for your long lost cousins on the Internet while you sleep.

To create a Google Alert, enter a topic you wish to monitor in the search terms box, then enter your e-mail address.

Every time there is a new occurrence of that search term on an Internet page, you will receive an e-mail about it.

If you enter a surname you are researching, Google Alerts will tell you whenever a new family tree or Facebook account containing that surname appears.

This works especially well when the name you are researching is uncommon.

Monday, June 15, 2009

African American Genealogy at NARA

Summer 2009 Workshop: African-American Genealogical Research (Saturday, August 8, 2009 from 10:00-11:30 AM, National Archives at Chicago).
Cost: $10.00.

Renowned lecturer, author, and genealogist Tony Burroughs will present a program on African-American family history research. Mr. Burroughs will address the special challenges presented to those researching African-Americans. Information on finding Federal records relating to African-Americans will be discussed.

LIMITED SEATING. To reserve a space for this workshop, please call 773-948-9001 or email chicago.archives@nara.gov with the names, phone number, and (if possible) email addresses for all attendees.

GAGG-NI Meeting


The June meeting of CAGG-NI will take place at 10:30 a.m. on June 20 at the Schaumburg Library.


Marsha Peterson-Maass will present a condensed version of her 14 hour presentation, Exploring Fundamentals of Genealogy: Basics for Everyone. The original 14 hour presentation was made at the Newberry Library.


Marsha will have some copies of her book of the same name available for sale at the meeting at the discounted price of $20.


Please plan to attend to broaden your tools for conducting your research.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Genalogical Photos


Do you want to be able to easily share pictures with your new-found cousins?There are many ways to do this.One web site that combines genealogy with family photos is MyHeritage.


MyHeritage is a network of 32 million family members worldwide. It contains more than 350 million profiles, 7 million family Web sites and 50 million photos. People upload more than 2.5 million family photos to MyHeritage every month.


MyHeritage lets you share family photos from mobile devices or by email, which allows you to capture family moments and share them as they happen. You can tag your photos, or put them into a variety of slideshow formats, making it quick and easy for you to share your images in a beautiful way.

Canadian Census


Do you have Canadian ancestors?


Tracing your Canadian roots past 100 has been a struggle. But now there are indexes to all of the pre-1900 Canadian censuses.


FamilySearch, in partnership with Ancestry.ca and the Library and Archives Canada (LAC), has added the 1851, 1861, and 1871 Canada Census indexes to its online collection. The new indexes can be searched for free at the FamilySearch Record Search Pilot.

June 13: NSGS Meeting


The North Suburban Genealogical Society will meet at the Glenview Public Library on Saturday, June 13, from 1 to 3 PM.


Problem solving will be led by Maureen Shelly at 1 PM. There will be a business meeting at 1:50 PM.


At 2 PM, Brian Donovan, president of the genealogy society of the Irish American Heritage Center, will present the latest developments in researching Irish ancestors.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Welsh Genealogy


If you are searching for ancestors from Wales, you will enjoy the 1911 Welsh census.


It provides online access to the records of 2.4 million people living in Wales in 1911. Anyone can use the index to locate ancestors. To view the original record, there is a small fee.


The census covers Wales, England, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, as well as those aboard Royal Naval and Merchant vessels at sea and in foreign ports. It also includes details of British Army personnel and their families in military establishments overseas.


The 1911 census is provided in association with The National Archives of the U.K. and Find My Past, which helps you locate living family members, immigrants, and Welsh ancestors from the 16th century to the present.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

German Genealogy

Palatines to America (Pal Am) is a German genealogy society dedicated to the study of ancestors from all German speaking lands. Pal Am will offer the 2009 National Conference, “Research With the Experts” at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, June 18-20, 2009.

The featured speaker is world renowned Annette Burgert with four presentations on the basics for research of colonial German and Swiss ancestry, immigration, and European villages of origin.

Pal Am has an Illinois Chapter, which publishes six newsletters per year. The chapter also offers research assistance and an ancestor registry. The Pal Am website also features a query index.

Contact Pal Am by E-mail at palamillinois@palam.org ...or in writing at: Palatines to America - Illinois Chapter, P O Box 9638, Peoria, IL 61612-9638...or by telephone at (309) 691-0292.

Become a Pal Am member! There will be many benefits to your German genealogical research.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Genealogy and Local History Orientation at Newberry

The Newberry Library will offer Saturday morning genealogy and local history orientations
at 9:30 am on June 6 and July 11.

Interested in learning about your family history or researching your neighborhood, but don’t know where to start? On the first Saturday of every month...except for Independence Day... a member of the Newberry’s Local and Family History reference staff will introduce beginners to the basics of research with an informal orientation.

The orientation sessions begin in the first floor reader’s lounge. Admission is free. No reservations are required.

The Newberry LibraryCenter for Public Programs, 60 W. Walton St. Chicago, IL 60610-7324
Sign up for E-News, a free monthly e-newsletter.
telephone: (312) 255-3700fax: (312) 255-3680
e-mail: programs@newberry.org