Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Great news! The Illinois State Genealogical Society has been selected as a finalist in the About.com Readers' Choice Awards for 2013 in the category of Best State/Provincial Genealogical Society ! Why ISGS? To quote the post at About.com: A large number of genealogical societies have re-invented themselves in recent years, embracing social media, virtual education , digital publishing, and other tools to reach a far-flung audience. To highlight the vibrancy and necessity of some of today's genealogical societies, I've given them their own category in the About.com Readers' Choice Awards. To keep things on a somewhat equal playing field, nominations are being accepted for state (provincial, departmental, etc.) genealogical societies only. I think we already all know how great the national and regional societies are.  Your vote is needed! Between February 19, 2013, and March 27, 2013, you can vote for your favorite genealogical society (we hope it is ISGS!) Cl...

Join us on Tuesday, March 12 , at 8:00 PM Central, when Lisa Alzo will present Back to Your Roots: Planning a Successful Heritage Research Trip . To attend this webinar, register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8438226523594802432 . Last week's webinar, Best Genealogy Present You Can Give Yourself: Citing Your Sources , presented by Harold Henderson, is now available to ISGS members in the Members Section of the ISGS website ( http://ilgensoc.org/members.php ). Upcoming Webinars March 12 – Back to Your Roots: Planning a Successful Heritage Research Trip Presenter: Lisa Alzo Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8438226523594802432 April 9 – Digging Through Documents Word by Word Presenter: Debbie Mieszala, CG Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3231307790843086592 May 14 – Timelines: Placing Your Heritage in Historical Perspective Presenter: Laura Prescott Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/...

The ISGS Office will be closed on Monday, February 18, 2013 in observance of the President's Day holiday. The office will be open from 10am to 1pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 . Regular hours will resume on Thursday, February 21, 2013. © 2013, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The January/February 2013 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. © 2013, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

ISGS has a Military Certificates database online that lists the certificates issued as part of the Military Certificate project that honors Illinois soldiers.  The database lists the soldier’s name along with their unit, county, and the ISGS Military Certificate number.  This searchable database is available to anyone under the Free Databases section of the ISGS Website War of 1812 Soldiers Added Since December 2011 Jacob Crowley Blackhawk War Soldiers Added Since December 2011 Brice B. Jackson Civil War Soldiers Added Since December 2011 Stephen Wheeler Irven Holbrook Thomas Henry Edwards Thomas James Jolly Abner A. Batson William Day William Swartz Moses Turner Thomas Randall Storm Christian Schrader World War I Soldiers Added Since December 2011 Clarence L. Ervin Louis Franklin Hagler

ISGS has a Prairie Pioneers Certificates database online that lists the certificates issued as part of the Prairie Pioneers Certificate project that honors Illinois pioneers.  The database lists the pioneer’s name, along with the county, the year they came to Illinois, and the ISGS Prairie Pioneers Certificate number.  This searchable database is available to anyone under the Free Databases section of the ISGS Website . Pioneers Added Since April 2012 Anton Panoch, Cook County William Boswell, St. Clair County Emeline Johnson, St. Clair County Nicholas Warfield, Carroll County James Deaton, St. Clair County Jezreel Wellington Bean, Kane County Demount Campbell, Winnebago County Samuel Peabody, Christian County Brice Bradley Jackson, Morgan County George Bartlett Knight, Gallatin County Harrison M. Rankin, Sangamon County

ISGS Volunteer Opportunities As we approach 2013, ISGS’s open positions list has grown due to various life changes we all experience, including a death in our “family,” and the creation of new positions. ISGS fully supports its board members serving in capacities that interest them, which can necessitate moves to new committees, leaving vacancies. Please consider helping ISGS achieve its mission to preserve and disseminate Illinois historical and genealogical materials, and to educate and aid those researching their ancestry.  For information on any of the positions listed below, contact Susie Pope:  isgs2ndvp@ilgensoc.org ISGS Quarterly Design and Technical Editor : The Design and Technical Editor works with the Quarterly Editor to produce a polished publication. A working knowledge of design and layout principles and the use of Adobe In- Design is desirable. Website Indexing Projects Coordinator : Website Indexing is a subcommittee of the Website Committee....

Citing sources was one of the most highly requested webinar topics we received in 2012. We're listening and we hope you will join us on February 12 , when Harold Henderson will present Best Genealogy Present You Can Give Yourself: Citing Your Sources . Date : Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 8:00 pm Central Description : Footnotes are not just for professors anymore. The secret is not where to put the commas—it's understanding the record you're looking at. Presenter : Harold Henderson, CG Harold Henderson, CG sm , lives and works in northwest Indiana and on midwestroots.net . He has been a professional writer since 1979 and a professional genealogist since 2009. He serves on the board of the Association of Professional Genealogists and is a member of the publicity committee for the 2013 Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Fort Wayne. He has published articles in American Ancestors Journal (annual supplement to the New England Historical and Geneal...

Saturday, March 23, 2013 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. McLean County Museum of History 200 North Main Street Bloomington, IL 61701 Join the Museum, the Irish Heritage Society, and the McLean County Genealogical Society for a day discovering your Irish roots! Sessions will explore Irish Genealogy resources, McLean County genealogy, and local history resources. Tips and hints on beginning Irish research will also be offered. Session details are noted on the back of this form. Registration begins January 14, 2013. Click here to register (opens in PDF).