Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) will elect members to its Governing Board at the annual meeting to be held during the ISGS Conference on October 25 -26, 2013 in Sandwich, Illinois. ISGS seeks to have its board represent the many diverse Illinois geographic locations as well as the many talents found within its membership. Membership in ISGS is required and candidates must be willing to attend quarterly board meetings in Springfield, as well as occasional conference calls and virtual meetings. Candidates should send contact information and a short biography to isgsoffice@ilgensoc.org with the subject line “Nominations” or mail the information to Illinois State Genealogical Society, PO Box 10195, Springfield, IL 62791-0195 by June 30, 2013. Join the ISGS Board and add your voice to the activities, projects, and efforts put forth by to further the work of “Honoring Illinois Ancestry”. © 2013, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The May/June 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

The ISGS Office will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2013 in honor of Memorial Day. Regular hours will resume on Thursday, May 30, 2013. © 2013, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Join us on Tuesday, June 11 , at 8:00 PM Central, when Luana Darby , will present, The Research Calendar: A Resource You Cannot Live Without . To attend this webinar, register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1792803534084357632 . Last week's webinar, Timelines: Placing Your Heritage in Historical Perspective , presented by Laura Prescott, is now available to ISGS members in the Members Section of the ISGS website ( http://ilgensoc.org/members.php ). Upcoming Webinars June 11 – The Research Calendar: A Resource You Cannot Live Without Presenter: Luana Darby Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1792803534084357632 July 9 – Common Surnames: Ways to Identify Your Ancestors in a Crowd Presenter: Juliana Smith Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5387125736981834496 August 13 – Getting to Here from There: Following your Ancestor’s Migration Trail Presenter: J. H. "Jay" Fonkert Registration: https://atte...

The Decatur Genealogical Society (DGS) is the oldest and one of the largest genealogical societies in Illinois. Membership of 600 includes many persons from out of state. Organized in 1964, DGS is a non-profit, non-sectarian, educational society with the following purposes: to encourage the science of genealogy, to help others gather genealogical information, to preserve and publish material of historical and genealogical nature, all for educational purposes. They operate entirely on membership dues, volunteer labor, publication sales, and private donations. An individual membership currently is $15/year and offers the following benefits: Receive the Central Illinois Genealogical Quarterly . Place free queries in the Quarterly . Submit material on the Central Illinois area for publication in the Quarterly . Receive the bi-monthly newsletter Central Illinois News , which contains information on coming events, new acquisitions, and research tips. Full use of the DGS Library during ...

Anyone who has family members that attended Illinois State University (a.k.a. Illinois State Normal University prior to 1964) will be happy to learn that a near-complete collection of yearbooks, published from 1892 to 1994, is available to view online.  The digitization project was completed in 2012 through the support of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI).  Each yearbook is fully digitized, cover to cover, and available to view for free.  Visit http://library.illinoisstate.edu/unique-collections/archives/yearbooks.php to access the collection.

October 25 & 26, 2013, at Timber Creek Inn & Suites in Sandwich, Illinois May 8, 2013 – Springfield, IL . The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) announces its 2013 Fall conference to be held on October 25 and 26 in Sandwich, Illinois, at the Timber Creek Inn & Suites and Convention Center. Using The Way They Were as this year’s theme, a variety of presenters will offer lectures to assist attendees in identifying the “they” in genealogical research. In addition, a focus on “were” will explore the importance of capturing family stories and ancestor anecdotes to round out a family’s history. Besides attending genealogy focused lectures and social events, conference goers can visit the Sandwich area which offers a variety of venues for historical sightseeing. These include area museums, tours of the Naper Settlement in Naperville, and the world famous Mies van der Rohe glass home, as well as the Farnsworth House, on the banks of the nearby Fox River. C...

Timelines are an invaluable tool for genealogists. Join us on May 14 , where Laura Prescott will give us some pointers in her presentation Timelines: Placing Your Heritage in Historical Perspective . Date : Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 8:00 pm Central Description : Match historical events to an ancestor's life, or synchronize one ancestor's life events to another's using genealogical software as well as everyday software programs to create a graphic profile and timeline. Presenter : Laura Prescott Laura G. Prescott is a researcher, writer, and speaker. She offers a unique mix of history, genealogy, and technology to find answers and ancestors. She graduated Dartmouth College, BA (History). Her specialties include manuscripts and online research. She is a professional genealogist, past president of APG, and a consultant at Fold3.com . More at lauraprescott.com . Register : https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6182542135328835840 Recording and Handout Avail...