Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Last week, FamilySearch reported that the 1940 census indexes for all 50 states is complete, as are the indexes for Guam, Panama Canal, and Virgin Islands.  The final two territories, American Somoa and Puerto Rico, should be posted soon.  According to their blog post on August 21 , the project “started on the April 4 th of this year. With the posting of the last states today, we have published the census 73 days earlier than expected!”  That’s incredible!! The ISGS indexing group was a major contributor to this project, having indexed over 325,000 records, and arbitrated another 57,000.  So go ahead, pat yourself on the back…you earned it! This project will certainly help people find their family, or even themselves, in the 1940 census.  Were you able to finally find someone using the index?  Tell us about it in the comments! P.S.  If you got the indexing bug from helping to index the 1940 census, why not continue contributing to FamilySearch indexing projects.  There are plenty

On Tuesday, September 11 , at 8 PM Central, Gena Philibert-Ortega, will present, Grandma did What!?: Researching your Famous and Infamous Relatives , which will explore various ways to research your famous or infamous ancestors. To attend this webinar, register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/646294230 . Last week's webinar, Major Midwestern Archives & Their Records , presented by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG SM , FMGS, FUGA, is now available to ISGS members in the Members Section of the ISGS website ( http://ilgensoc.org/members.php ). Upcoming Webinars September 11 – Grandma did What!?: Researching your Famous and Infamous Relatives  with Gena Philibert-Ortega Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/646294230 October 9 – Jumping Over Hurdles in German Research with Leslie Albrecht Huber. Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/309951654 November 13 – Sidestep Genealogy with George G. Morgan Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/regi

This week, Monday, August 20, 2012 through Friday, August 24, 2012, the ISGS office will not be open to receive visitors. You can, however, reach the office via telephone at (217) 789-1968 or e-mail at isgsoffice@ilgensoc.org. We'll follow up on your request as quickly as possible. Normal office hours will resume the week of August 27, 2012. © 2012, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The founding members of the Czech & Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois (CSAGSI) for the most part, had been members of the Czech and Slovak Interest Group of the Chicago Genealogical Society. In October 1995, after co-hosting a genealogical/cultural conference in Countryside, Illinois, which drew over 500 attendees, several Interest Group members realized the need for an independent Czech and Slovak genealogy society in the Chicago area. The initial meeting of the society’s founders took place March 9, 1996 at the home of founding president, Joe Hartzel. At this time, the society name was chosen, the logo designed, and an Articles of Incorporation suitable for submission to the State of Illinois and for approval by the Internal Revenue Service was approved and signed. Finally, it was decided the quarterly journal would be titled Koreny which means “Roots.” Today, CSAGSI boasts a membership of approximately 1,000 with all fifty states and a number of foreign countries re

The Illinois State Genealogical Society is looking for an experienced office professional with strong administrative skills for its Office Secretary position. Applicants will need to staff the ISGS office two days a week at the Illinois State Archives and perform basic office duties.  Secretarial or administrative experience as well as proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel are required. For more information, please contact isgs2ndvp@ilgensoc.org . © 2012, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Two $1000 scholarships provided this year August 15, 2012 – Elgin, IL. From the many excellent scholarship applications received this year, EGS proudly awards 2012 Chester A. Bower scholarships to Madonna Davis Marks and Jesse Nasta. Madonna is currently seeking a Master’s Degree in Library Science with an emphasis on Special and Historical Collections at the University of Illinois. She believes “this career demands someone with not just desire but a passion for saving and preserving the pieces that make up a life.” Jesse is a PhD candidate at Northtwestern University in the Department of History. His fields of specialization are United States, Early Republic to Reconstruction; African American and legal history; comparative slavery and emancipation. This scholarship will assist in the completion of his dissertation research in which he “analyzes hundreds of previously unexamined court cases, initiated by African Americans in local courts in St. Louis and throughout Illinois”.

The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) is proud to announce a new database at its website for genealogy and family history researchers - the Illinois Cemetery Location Project database. The database, consisting of almost 15,000 entries, is available for free and to the public at the ISGS website at  http://ilgensoc.org/cstm_cemeteryIndex.php . Researchers can search by cemetery name or cemetery nickname and filter results by county; all 102 Illinois counties are covered in the database. Once a record is located, click on the "eye" icon to view the details about that specific cemetery: Information includes county and township location as well as the address of the cemetery. In addition data related to Illinois veterans, church affiliation, online website and status of the cemetery (active, inactive, etc.) is also included if available.   Note : the Illinois Cemetery Location Project database does not include headstone transcriptions. A special thanks to Be

Thomas MacEntee wants to usher genealogy researchers into the world of the Internet. The Chicago resident who worked for more than 25 years in the information technology field before beginning his own business, High-Definition Genealogy, in 2008 will be sharing his expertise in Google, Facebook, self-publishing, and searching for living relatives during four workshop sessions at " Family History in Profile ," the Illinois State Genealogical Society’s (ISGS) fall conference Oct. 19 and 20 to be held at the Best Western Clock Tower Resort & Conference Center in Rockford, IL. "Many of us are intimidated by technology," MacEntee says. “We watch our children and grandchildren and are amazed at how easily they use smart phones and the Internet." He wants to raise the knowledge of genealogy researchers, the average person who is interested in finding out more about their great grandparents and great great grandparents, so that they can get more out of thei

Next week - August 13-17, 2012, the ISGS office will be open as follows: Tuesday , August 14, 2012, 8:00 am - 11:00 am Friday, August 17, 2012, 8:00 am - 12:00 noon Normal office hours will resume the week of August 20th. © 2012, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Here's your chance to learn about research facilities in the Midwest and the nuggets of information they hold. Knowing what's available and how to use these resources will certainly help you advance your genealogy research. Join us for next week's webinar, Major Midwestern Archives & Their Records , presented by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG SM , FMGS, FUGA. Date : Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 8:00 pm Central Description : Dates, names, ages, relationships, lawsuits, prison records, church records, bibles, probates, and more await us in archives. This presentation highlights some major Midwestern archives and their holdings, finding aids, websites, and special indexes. An overview will be presented for each state’s archive and some will be covered in greater detail. Archives are not created equally! For the states we are covering this is very evident. Some have a combination state historical society and/or library and the state archives. The websites, research services,

Please note that on Thursday, August 9, 2012 the ISGS office will be open from 8:00am to 10:30am. Normal office hours will resume on Monday, August 13, 2012. © 2012, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society