ISGS 2010 Award Winners

On Saturday, October 23, 2010, five individuals will be honored by the Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) with awards for their outstanding achievements in the field of genealogy. ISGS will present the awards at the upcoming ISGS Fall Conference – “You Have Family – You Have History” – held at the historic Hotel Père Marquette in Peoria, Illinois. The recipients include:

• Curt Witcher, Senior Manager for Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will receive the ISGS Distinguished Service Award for his numerous contributions to the field of genealogy.

• Cheri Hunter, of Decatur, Illinois will receive the ISGS Community Service Award for her extensive work with the Decatur Genealogical Society (DGS) as well as her service as a board member with ISGS.

• Fred Katko, of Peoria, Illinois, will receive the ISGS Special Recognition Award for his work as a generous volunteer with the Peoria County Genealogical Society as well as other societies.

• Christian Bender, a student from Oglesby, Illinois, will receive the ISGS Youth Award for his research project on the Cedar Point Cemetery. The project included researching the history of the cemetery, photographing the headstones, mapping the cemetery and writing a report on the research. This report received a rating of superior at the Illinois State History fair.

• Margaret Collins and Daniel W. Dixon, of Springfield, Illinois, and Auburn, Illinois respectively will receive the ISGS Individual Writer Award as co-winners this year. This award is selected by the editorial board of the ISGS Quarterly and is for the article The Inventive McWhorters of New Philadelphia, Illinois: Patents as a Genealogical Resource.

“We congratulate all the award recipients,” said ISGS President Carole McCarty. “Each winner has made important contributions to the genealogy community in Illinois and the United States. Their efforts and projects will allow future family historians to learn more about their ancestors and hopefully encourage them to make similar contributions to the field of genealogy and historical preservation.”

About Illinois State Genealogical Society

The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) was organized in 1968 – the state’s sesquicentennial year – and is a non-profit, educational organization. ISGS was established for the following purposes:

• To stimulate an interest in the people who contributed to the establishment and development of the State of Illinois.

• To seek, preserve, and make available data pertaining to individuals, families, and groups who lived in Illinois and to events which took place therein.

• To inform people of the value of, and need for, preserving family and local history for posterity.

• To encourage the formation of local genealogical societies and to coordinate and disseminate information.

For more information visit http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilsgs/.

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