Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

The May/June 2012 issue of the ISGS Newsletter is now available to both ISGS members and non-members. Visit the ISGS website at http://www.ilgensoc.org and click ISGS Newsletter to download the current issue (in PDF) and to view past issues going back to January/February 2008. © 2012, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The deadline for the 2012 ISGS Ancestor Photo Contest is tomorrow, May 31, 2012 - all entries must be received by the end of the day to be eligible. ISGS is asking members to submit photos of their own ancestors for use on the ISGS website. If your photo is selected, it will be displayed on a rotating-basis in the top banner of the ISGS website along with other member-submitted photos. You can view all the 2011 winners at http://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=156. Not only will you be credited with the photo submission, but you'll also be able to provide a brief biography of the person or persons in the photo. Visit the 2012 ISGS Ancestor Photo Contest page at http://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=71 and use the entry form to submit your photos. Or go to http://ilgensoc.org/upload/menu/ISGS_Photo_Release.pdf  (opens in Adobe Reader) to print out the form and submit your ancestor photos today! NOTE: You must be a member of ISGS to participate in the 2012 Ancestor Photo Contest.

The Illinois State Genealogical Society group for FamilySearch Indexing has 82 indexers, 11 of which are also arbitrators.  The group has been busy indexing since the beginning of April and so far, has keyed over 150,000 records.  Illinois is about 21% complete, so keep up the good work!! If you are not affiliated with the Illinois State Genealogical Society group, you can update your indexing profile.  For instructions on how to do this, please visit our blog post How To Change Your Affiliated Group in FamilySearch Indexing . If you are interested in joining the effort to index, visit the 1940 Census Community Project website to get started .  Be sure to select Illinois State Genealogical Society as your affiliated group when you sign up. Over 19 million records have been indexed and arbitrated by volunteers.  To see the status of the indexing progress overall and by state, visit the 1940 Census page on FamilySearch.  To ALL the indexers and arbitrators, give yourselves a pat on

On Tuesday, June 12, at 8 PM Central, Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG will present, The War of 1812 – America’s “Forgotten” War , where you will learn about the War of 1812 and the records available to help further your genealogy research. To attend this webinar, register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/361887982 . Last week's webinar, Some Great, Seldom-Used, Resources: A Genealogical Potpourri , presented by Timothy Pinnick is now available to ISGS members in the Members Section of the ISGS website ( http://ilgensoc.org/members.php ). Upcoming Webinars June 12 – The War of 1812 – America’s “Forgotten” War with Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/361887982 July 10 – Clue to Clue: Tracking a Family Over Time and Miles with Jean Wilcox-Hibben, PhD, MA, CG Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/726337462 August 14 – Major Midwestern Archives & Their Records with Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA Register

We are in for a treat with next week's webinar. You won't want to miss Some Great, Seldom-Used, Resources: A Genealogical Potpourri , presented by Timothy "Tim" Pinnick. Date : Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 8:00 pm Central Description : Genealogists are largely beholden to their peers for the introduction to marvelous resources that they may have otherwise missed. During this presentation Tim will share some of the unique and exciting resources he has come across with the potential to knock down one or more of the troublesome brick walls aggravating seasoned researchers. Presenter : Timothy Pinnick Tim Pinnick is an author, article writer, national speaker, and researcher. He has extensive lecture experience on a variety of topics and has been a presenter at over a dozen national and regional genealogy conferences coast to coast. An associate instructor in the “Researching African American Ancestors” course at the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Re