Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

The ISGS Office will be closed on Monday, September 4, 2017, for the Labor Day holiday. Regular office hours will resume on Thursday, September 7, 2017. © 2017, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The Rock Island County Illinois Genealogical Society is our wonderful local co-host for the 2017 Fall Conference! Our two societies are working together to bring genealogists and family historians the best ISGS conference yet, and in the meantime we’ve gotten the chance to connect. Linda Polich, Local Marketing Chair, wears many hats within the Rock Island County Illinois Genealogical Society. We chatted with her about the ISGS 2017 Fall Conference and the Rock Island County Illinois Genealogical Society. Illinois State Genealogical Society: Tell us about the history of the Rock Island County Illinois Genealogical Society. Linda Polich: The Rock Island County Illinois Genealogical Society is a non-profit organization, founded in 1972 by 110 charter members. We have monthly meetings with genealogical programs, which are open to the public.  Membership is open to anyone interested in genealogical research. Our Society is a member of FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies)...

J. H. “Jay” Fonkert, CG, is one of the featured speakers at the Illinois State Genealogical Society’s 2017 Annual Fall Conference. He lectures at national and regional conferences and has taught at the Salt Lake Institute for Genealogy. He has published more than 50 research and teaching articles and is co-editor of Minnesota Genealogist. His current research focuses on English, Norwegian, and Midwest genealogy. While we are eagerly awaiting the Fall Conference in October, ISGS asked Jay a few questions: Illinois State Genealogical Society: What are you most looking forward at the ISGS annual fall conference? Jay Fonkert: I'm delighted to be participating in my first-ever ISGS conference – especially in Moline, just across the river from my home state of Iowa. It is exciting to be on the program with Karen Stanbary, Tony Burroughs, and Rachel Popma, as well as some other fine speakers who are new to me. I'm excited to learn more about DNA from Karen Stanbary; she is outs...

We're excited to kick-off our newest event at the Annual Fall Conference: the Illinois Society Forum! The Illinois Society Forum takes places Friday, October 27th at 10 am. Presidents from Illinois genealogical societies are invited to gather for discussion and coffee. Society leaders will have the opportunity to network with one another and talk with the ISGS Directors about their societies needs and interests. Presidents can choose 1 to 2 society representatives to attend the Forum, including themselves. Space at the Illinois Society Forum is limited, so register soon. For more information visit our website or contact Kim Hanks, Illinois Society Liaison Chair, at isgssocieties@ilgensoc.org . © 2017, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Join us on  Tuesday, September 12 , at 8:00 PM Central, when Lisa Oberg will present  Luxembourgers on the Prairie: Researching your Luxembourg Ancestors . To attend this webinar, register at  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4916431437334451204 . Last week's webinar,  Ten Years is a Long Time: Census Substitutes for the In-between Years , presented by Amy Johnson Crow, CG, is now available to ISGS members in the Members Section of the ISGS website ( http://ilgensoc.org/members.php ). Upcoming Webinars September 12 -  Luxembourgers on the Prairie: Researching your Luxembourg Ancestors Presenter : Lisa Oberg Registration :  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4916431437334451204 October 10 -  Funeral Homes and Family History: They're Dying to Meet You Presenter : Daniel Earl Registration :  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8619206168660919556 November 14 -  Illinois Gold: Hard to Find But...

Ginger Frere is a professional researcher, speaker and instructor who provides a variety of research services to authors, historians, and genealogists. Her primary research interests include Chicago and mid-western research. The Illinois State Genealogical Society is delighted to announce that Ginger Frere will be leading two lectures at the Annual Fall Conference. We caught up with Ginger this summer and asked her a few questions about her background, her passion for genealogy and research, and the ISGS Conference. Illinois State Genealogical Society: Tell us a little about the lectures you'll be presenting at the ISGS conference. Ginger Frere: I’ll be presenting two of my favorite lectures at ISGS! In “Looking for Love in the Midwest” I’ll discuss some of the reasons marriage records just may not be where you think they should. I’ll offer some strategies and suggestions for finding those elusive “I Do” records. Social histories are the stories of ordinary people and...

The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) is bringing the 2017 Annual Fall Conference to beautiful Moline, Illinois. The Society will hold its conference on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 at the iWireless Center. This year’s conference is co-hosted by local society Rock Island County Illinois Genealogical Society . Registration for the conference is open to the public. Explore this year’s theme, “Build Your Family Tree: DNA, Research, & Writing” with two days of genealogical education for beginners through expert researchers, nationally-known speakers, door prizes, and opportunities to network with other genealogists and family historians. Attendees at the Friday evening banquet and the Saturday luncheon will be entered to win a free DNA test! Speakers include: Karen Stanbary, CG℠, J. H. Fonkert, CG℠, Tony Burroughs, Ginger Frere, Dr. Daniel Hubbard, Marsha Peterson-Maass, & Rachel M. Popma. One or two-day conference registrations are av...

Title :   Ten Years is a Long Time: Census Substitutes for the In-between Years Date : Tuesday, August 8, 2017, 8:00 pm Central Description : The federal census gives us wonderful clues for our research, but the ten years between each census is a long time. This presentation will discuss records that can be used to fill in the gap and add more points to your ancestor's timeline. Presenter : Amy Johnson Crow, CG Amy Johnson Crow is a Certified Genealogist and an active lecturer and author. Her roots run deep in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. She earned her Masters degree in Library and Information Science at Kent State University. Amy loves to help people discover the joys of learning about their ancestors. She figures that if anyone were to steal her phone, the thief would probably be alarmed at the number of tombstone photos on it. She blogs regularly at AmyJohnsonCrow.com. Register :  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2394575075177831939 R...