Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Among the many services available to the public, as well as members of the Illinois State Genealogical Society , is the Illinois Death Certificate Lookup Service . Not only can ISGS members receive copies of Illinois death certificates from 1916-1950 at a discount, anyone using ISGS can save considerable money compared to county-based services. The current pricing for one certificate is $6.00 for ISGS members and $10.00 for non-members (you can order as many as you would like). Compare that to the current $15.00 rate at sites such as Genealogy Online for Cook County ( https://www.cookcountygenealogy.com/ ). Currently, only those certificates listed at the Illinois Death Certificates 1916-1950 database at http://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/idphdeathindex.html can be obtained through the ISGS lookup service. The death certificates are printed from the microfilm stored at the Illinois State Archives. Requesting a Death Certificate: The Process To obt...

The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) is happy to announce the continuation of its popular FREE monthly webinar program in 2016. The ISGS 2016 Webinar Series would not be possible without the generous contributions received throughout 2015 and the generous sponsorship provided by FamilySearch . Registration for the 2016 webinars is now open! You’ll find a fantastic lineup of presentations and speakers and we hope you will join us for a wonderful educational experience. The ISGS webinars, which are live lectures/presentations that you can attend via a computer with an internet connection, are held as a live broadcast on the second Tuesday of each month at 8:00 PM Central. The live broadcast of each webinars is FREE to the public. ISGS members who are unable to attend the live broadcast are able to access recordings of all past webinars through the Members Section of the ISGS website, to watch at their convenience. ISGS 2016 Webinar Schedule So what does 2016 have i...

Join us on Tuesday, November 10 , at 8:00 PM Central, when Janet Hovorka, will present In-laws and Outlaws: The Bylaws of Talking About The Family Skeletons . To attend this webinar, register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1041320337723100418 . Last week's webinar, Polish Genealogy – Four Steps to Successful Research , presented by Steve Szabados, is now available to ISGS members in the Members Section of the ISGS website ( http://ilgensoc.org/members.php ). Upcoming Webinars November 10 – In-laws and Outlaws: The Bylaws of Talking About The Family Skeletons Presenter: Janet Hovorka Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1041320337723100418 December 8 – The US Federal Census: Good, Bad and Ugly for Genealogists Presenter: Gary Smith Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4542747002682234370 For the complete list of upcoming webinars, visit http://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=234 . ISGS 2016 Webinars : the new lineup of we...

UPDATE : ISGS is pleased to announce that we are extending online registration for the Fall Conference until Sunday, October 18, 2015 , due to arrangements with the Oak Lawn Hilton. This is the last chance to sign up for the Friday night Banquet and hear Geoffrey Baer’s presentation “They Came to Chicago.” It is also the last chance to guarantee that you will receive lunch on Saturday with your conference registration. Illinois State Genealogical Society 2015 Fall Conference October 23rd & 24th, 2015 Oak Lawn, Illinois Co-host: Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago Two days filled with genealogy education, nationally-known speakers, and the opportunity to network with other genealogists and family historians, and meals. Featured speakers include: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG℠, FMGS, FUGA : Professional genealogist specializing in genealogical and historical research, lecturing, consulting, and writing. Her lectures, research, and con...

Date : Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 8:00 pm Central Description : When did your Polish ancestors immigrate, from where did they leave, why did they leave, how did they get here? These are questions we all hope to find the answers. This presentation is designed to give the researcher the tools needed to research their Polish ancestors and find possible answers to the origins of your Polish heritage. The program outlines a simple process that will identify where your ancestors were born and where to find their Polish records. Steve uses his own genealogical research experience to outline a simple process that has been successful for the author. Presenter : Steve Szabados Steve Szabados is a lecturer and author who has given numerous programs to genealogy groups and libraries. He has written ten genealogy books and is also a contributing editor for the Polish American Journal. As a genealogy volunteer at the Arlington Heights Library, he helps individuals with their research and he wants...