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Meet the NEW ISGS Board Members

In the first of a three-part series, we are sharing a little bit about our board members. EvaAnne Johnson, Wesley Johnston, and Bill Lear are our 2029 board members. When asking EvaAnne and Wesley to continue on the board and Bill to join the board, we found their commonalities and distinct qualities bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to ISGS. In addition to the brief bios of our Directors , three focused questions w ere posed to them in order to capture their genealogical journeys and goals for ISGS: What do you enjoy most about genealogy? Do you have a brick wall or unsolved mystery? What do you want to see happen in the future of ISGS? Bill and EvaAnne enjoy following clues, searching records, and capturi ng stories about their ancestors. EvaAnne’s blog allows her to share her family’s history. The thrill of finding something new helps them understand their ancestors —even those they k new well. Wesley enjoys taking his research into the present day by making connections ...
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Recent posts
Technology feels like it moves faster every day and sometimes that speed and agility goes unnoticed until…..it’s a problem. We use Blogger, a Google product, and have found it to be a great platform. What we didn’t notice about Blogger is that Google removed their built-in email subscription feature. That is what has happened with the ISGS Blog.  RSS (Really Simple Syndication) readers will allow you to receive updates when we post new blogs. RSS reader apps, such as Feedly, Inoreader, or Newsrecess are options for your use. Once you set up your account there, our blog, https://ilgensoc.blogspot.com can be followed. We will also be posting our new releases on our social media and website , too! © 2026, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society
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The Northwest Territory with Maureen Brady

Please join the ISGS Education Committee at the Finding Illinois Records SIG on 2 November 2026 at 7:00 PM Central. Maureen Brady will be discussing settlement and genealogy of the Northwest Territory in our final program of America250. If interested, please register at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JR8ThYCBT2yyPFOnL_XcQA . Any questions or inquiries can be directed to Education Chair Claire Gene Esker at ISGSEducation@ilgensoc.org . We hope to see you there!     © 2026, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society
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Illinois 250: History in the American Bottom

Join us as we dive into the deep and diverse history of southern Illinois. The full-day conference on Saturday, October 24, will feature three tracks of lectures from a variety of speakers, focusing on immigrant communities and ethnic heritage in southern Illinois, migration patterns, and military history, as well as a tech-focused AI workshop. Registration   Speakers and their Presentations: Darrel Dexter, an author, historian and high-school teacher from Cairo, writes about stories gleaned from his research of slavery in Illinois at Southern Illinois University's Morris Library. Tracing the Genealogy of John Willis Menard   Slavery in Southern Illinois LaDonna Garner, M.A., is a Professional Genealogist & Historic Consultant focused on historical preservation and genealogical research in and outside Southeast Missouri. The Great Migration and the Midwest   Investigating Digital Newspapers for Illinois & Missouri Families Laura Kovarik has been involve...
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CHICAGO NARA EMERGENCY!

For over 50 years, the Chicago regional NARA facility on South Pulaski has welcomed researchers from around the Great Lakes Region to explore their own history. Now it is being closed to reduce federal real estate costs. Local records are being packed up to ship to less accessible facilities. Local staff, with years of institutional knowledge, face uncertainty and loss. Chicago needs to know just what it is about to lose. Next week, October 12th through 16th, volunteers will staff a lunchtime "reference desk" in Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago, near the Calder flamingo, from 11am to 1pm daily. Supporters are welcome any day of the week to hold signs and provide information. If you can only make one day in the week, we suggest Friday. Location: North side of Federal plaza, near the intersection of Dearborn and Adams (look for the flagpoles) What to Bring: signs in support of NARA Chicago and archives more generally, folding chairs, appropriate weather gear. © 2026, copyr...
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A CALL TO ACTION: SAVE OUR NATIONAL ARCHIVES

A CALL TO ACTION: SAVE OUR NATIONAL ARCHIVES   saveournationalarchives.org  Our National Archives Are Being Taken Out of Public Reach   On June 23, 2026, the National Archives and Records Administration quietly informed its own employees, not the public (NARA Notice 2026-037) of a plan to close the National Archives at Chicago and San Bruno, CA and to relocate their holdings to up to 12 different facilities spread across the country. The Chicago facility serves the people of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. San Bruno serves northern and central California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific territories. Tens of millions of Americans are about to lose their regional window into the federal records including the actual Immigration and Naturalization records from all these areas. This is not a routine matter of facilities management, and it should not be treated as one. The regional archives are not a real estate line item to be trimmed in pursuit of...
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ISGS Annual Meeting October 18, 2026

The Illinois State Genealogical Society will hold its Annual Member Meeting via Zoom at 7:00 pm CT on Sunday, October 18th, 2026.   The Annual Meeting will include the announcement of the 2026 ISGS Honors and Awards recipients, the results of the 2026 ISGS election, as well as other important information about your society. To register to attend the Annual Meeting, please click on the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1jEykEUWTy6PDNjIYhvuNg   Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with directions on how to join the Annual Meeting. The ISGS Newsletter is also due in the next few days.   The 2026 ISGS election will take place via internet ballot. Since we are meeting virtually, "nominations from the floor" must be made virtually as well. If you wish to nominate someone for a 2029 Director position, those nominations should be sent by October 2, 2026, to the ISGS President at: isgspresident@ilgensoc.org .   The ISGS Board recomm...
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