Genealogy Volunteers

We are pleased to introduce our two genealogy room volunteers, Barbara Coughlin and Susan Groff.

Barbara will be in the Genealogy Room on most Mondays from 1 pm to 4 pm. She has been working on her family history for five years, and is knowledgeable about US and UK records. Barbara is experienced in using online genealogy databases such as Ancestry, and with Family Tree Maker software for managing her family trees. She is also an experienced vital records indexer, and plans to help us index our historic Glenview newspapers.

Susan Groff has been volunteering at the Library for several years on our Glenview Obituary Index. Susan updates the index, which now contains more than 11,000 entries.  She will staff the  Genealogy Room from 10 am to 2 pm on most Thursdays.

Call the Genealogy Room at (847) 729-7500 x2709, or stop by.

Welcome, Susan and Barbara!

Norwegian Genealogy

Caron Primas Brennan will present Uff Da! Researching My Norwegian Roots at the next meeting of the Northwest Suburban Council of Genealogists.


Where: Forest View Educational Center, Room 100, 2121 S. Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois
When: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Caron will share what she has learned through researching her own elusive Norwegian great-grandparents and discovering her cousins in Scandinavia. She will discuss research locations and guides, lessons learned, and other helpful hints.

Caron Primas Brennan loves history, puzzles and a good mystery, which makes her perfectly suited to genealogy research!  She has been researching her family history since a 6th grade school project piqued her curiosity.  Caron primarily uses The Master Genealogist as well as Family Tree Maker software and Ancestry.com to share her passion with others in her family. She is currently the Webmaster and Newsletter Publisher for Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois.
Northwest Suburban Council of Genealogists
P.O. Box 148 ● Mount Prospect, Illinois, 60056

New Adoption Law

There is a new adoption law which may affect genealogical research.

It allows Illinois-born adopted adults to request copies of their original birth certificate listing their birth parents by filing a form with the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange (IARMIE). 

Birth parents of adopted persons born after January 1, 1946 may request that their names be removed from copies of the original birth certificate during their lifetime.  All birth parents may share background information or indicate a desire for contact through the IARMIE.

National Genealogical Society Annual Conference 2011

NGS Family History Conference pre-registration deadline is today, April 26, 2011.
There are over 186 lecture sessions ranging in topic from technology skills; to military records; to ethnic research; to methodology and skillbuilding!
There will be nearly 90 different exhibitors in this year's exhibit hall, providing just about anything you want or need to help you with your genealogical research.
The conference will take place in Charleston, South Carolina
Pre-registration for the NGS 2011 Family History Conference ends today, 26 April 2011....but you can register on-site at the North Charleston Convention Center beginning 10 May 2011.
The Conference will be located at the North Charleston Area Convention Center, 5001 Coliseum Dr., North Charleston, South Carolina.
At check-in, you will receive  a conference bag, program and syllabus on CD...but you can pre-order a printed syllabus before early bird deadline.

The Banquet Speaker will be Patrick McCawley, Archival Processing Supervisor at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.  He will talk about The Destruction of Records in South Carolina during the Civil War.  His talk will provide an overview of recordkeeping in South Carolina on the eve of the war, a review of military operations during the war, and the effect those operations had on the survival of local and state records. In particular he will discuss the march of General Sherman’s army through the state, and the courthouses and records destroyed as a result.

Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy

New book at the Glenview Public Library...Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy, 2011 Edition, by Gary Mokotoff. -- Avotaynu, c2011.

Call #  929.1089924 MOK

This book introduces the most helpful resources for researching Jewishgenealogy.  It tells you how to interview family members, and ask for photos and documents.  It also discusses the best websites as well as non-internet resources, such as societies and publishers.  There is a special section on Holocaust research.

"The Ultimate Search Book."

New at the Glenview Public Library...The Ultimate Search Book, 2011 Edition: Worldwide Adoption, Genealogy, & Other Search Secrets, by Lori Carangelo.

Call number:   929.1 CAR

This book introduces resources, strategy, and process of searching for missing children and adults, including heirs, war buddies, classmates, etc., with or without a name or  family members, separated due to adoption or divorce.  It covers a range of information, from basic resources to those that are lesser known.

German Genealogy Fest

German Genealogy Fest at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library
Date: 5/14/2011

Morning Session: Registration is required.
Start Time: 9:30 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM
Need help finding your German ancestor? Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, a certified genealogist, will show you how to locate your ancestor's town of origin, how to locate German records, and how to decipher old German handwriting. Register for the morning only.

Afternoon session: Drop In.
Start Time: 1:00 PM
End Time: 4:00 PM
Description: In the afternoon, translators and genealogy volunteers will help you with your documents and answer research questions. Drop in for afternoon.

Arlington Heights Memorial Library,  Hendrickson Room, 500 N. Dunton Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60004

Contact: Michael Mulholland, Local History/Genealogy Librarian, 847.870.3643,  mmulholl@ahml.info

Researching Civil War Ancestors

Almost 3.5 million soldiers are believed to have been involved in the American Civil War, with around 360,000 Union soldiers and 260,000 Confederate soldiers losing their lives as a direct result. Given the dramatic impact of this conflict, if your ancestors lived in the United States during this time, it is likely that you'll find at least one Civil War soldier in your family tree.
About.com: Genealogy has suggestions to help you start researching your Civil War Ancestors.

Upcoming Genealogy Workshops at NARA

Telling Your Family Story -- Saturday, May 14, 2011: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM As you conduct research and locate documents, have you wondered how to share this information with family members? Staff from the Chicago-based organization History Works, Inc. will discuss ideas for telling your family's tale. From the use of free print-on-demand software to the creation of an engaging, focused storyline, History Works' hints and "tricks of the trade" are sure to inspire and impress your relatives. The cost for this workshop is $10.00 per person, payable at the door.

Using Court Records to Find Local and Family History -- Saturday, June 11, 2011: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Have you considered checking court records in your family history hunt? In this workshop, archivists from the National Archives at Chicago will give an overview of how court records can be used to uncover a wealth of information about people’s lives as well as the social, legal, and economic issues that brought them to court. The cost for this workshop is $10.00 per person, payable at the door.

All workshops will be held at the Great Lakes Regional Archive near Ford City Mall and Midway Airport, 7358 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago.

To register, send your name, e-mail address, phone number, and mailing address to Kris Maldre, Education
Specialist, at kristina.maldre@nara.gov. Upon receipt workshop registration will be confirmed via e-mail. If
you have further questions, please call: 773-948-9001.

Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861

One hundred fifty years ago today, the battle at Fort Sumter  in South Carolina started the War Between the States.

Ancestry.com is commemmorating this event with Free Access Week.  You can search Civil War era records free through April 14.  (You will need to register an email account with them, but there is no charge for this.)

The New Databases are as follows:

New Union Records

U.S. Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865

U.S. Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865
U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865 - UPDATED
New York, Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, 1861-1900
New York, Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War, ca 1861-1865
Kansas, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862, 1863, 1868

New Confederate Records

Alabama, Confederate Pension and Service Records, 1862-1947
Arkansas, Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1935
U.S. Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958 (Virginia and Texas)
Alabama, Census of Confederate Soldiers, 1907, 1921

Genealogy Software Programs: Panel Discussion

Having trouble organizing your family history??
Not getting printouts you like?

Come to the North Suburban Genealogical Society Software Programs Panel
Saturday May 14 1 pm

NSGS members Barbara Bennett, Bob Bremer, Barbara Garrison, Fran Kinney and Jane Lahey will discuss the pros and cons of four popular programs:

 Family Tree Maker
 Reunion (for the Mac)
 Personal Ancestral File (PAF) and later versions
 Brother’s Keeper

Why not enjoy your software?

Meetings are at the Northbrook History Museum
1776 Walters Drive
Northbrook IL 60062

Contact: Nina Johnson 847-256-3602 or nsgensoc@gmail.com
North Suburban Genealogical Society
% Winnetka Public Library, 768 Oak Street, Winnetka, IL 60093
1-847-446-7220; Ext. Genealogy

Creative Filenames For Easy Organizing

For 33+ years, the Polish Genealogical Society of America has been an important resource for individuals, novice thru seasoned, looking for their Polish roots. They can help you deal with the myths and challenges of ethnic research.
Sunday, May 15, 2011 – 2 P.M.
Social Hall of the Polish Museum (PRCUA)
984 N. Milwaukee Ave. • Chicago

How Creative Filenames & Excel Pay Big Organizational & Research Dividends
Straightforward solutions to logically organize electronic data for easy identification and location… building a highly flexible, multi-level data base for documenting, organizing, and correlating large amounts of data.

Wedding Fashion Show

In case you missed the Wedding Tea and Fashion show sponsored by the Glenview History Center on March 26, a portfolio of pictures was taken that day by Victor Martinez.
Click HERE to see it.

Dating Old Photographs

Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois meeting at Temple Beth Israel. 3601 W. Dempster St. in Skokie.
Sunday, April 10
12:30: The temple will open for those interested in using library materials, have genealogical questions or need help with website searches.

2:00 Program - "Dating Old Photographs" presented by member Ava "Sherlock" Cohn.

CAGGNI

CAGGNI (Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois) is a group of amateur genealogists who are committed to using technology and the internet more effectively in support of their family history research activities.

CAGGNI meets at 10:30am on the third Saturday of every month except December at the Schaumburg Township District Library. Monthly meeting topics cover a broad range of subjects of interest in supporting genealogical activities including software, tools, techniques and methodologies. Additionally, monthly newsletters, support for both computer and genealogy issues and Internet surname exposure are among the benefits of membership. For questions about the group, contact president@caggni.org or webmaster@caggni.org.

For questions about the group, contact president@caggni.org  or webmaster@caggni.org