Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

The Illinois State Genealogical Society 2017 Fall Conference is just a little more than two weeks away! Karen Stanbary, CG℠ is one of our featured speakers. She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Chicago. Karen specializes in Midwestern, Chicago, and Mexican research as well as complex problem-solving and DNA analysis. A regular instructor in Chicago’s Newberry Library Adult Education program, Karen lectures on topics including Genetic Genealogy, Advanced Genetic Genealogy and the Genealogical Proof Standard. She is a faculty member at GRIP, IGHR, and SLIG. She published a complex evidence case study incorporating traditional documentary research and autosomal DNA analysis in the June 2016 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. She holds the credential Certified Genealogist® from the Board for Certification of Genealogists® where she serves on the Genetic Genealogy Standards committee. Register for the fall conference today to at

Join us on  Tuesday, November 14 , at 8:00 PM Central, when Thomas MacEntee will present  Illinois Gold: Hard to Find But Valuable Prairie State Resources for Genealogical Research . To attend this webinar, register at  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5490586515192783362 . Last week's webinar,  Funeral Homes and Family History: They're Dying to Meet You , presented by Daniel Earl, is now available to ISGS members in the Members Section of the ISGS website ( http://ilgensoc.org/members.php ). Upcoming Webinars November 14 -  Illinois Gold: Hard to Find But Valuable Prairie State Resources for Genealogical Research Presenter : Thomas MacEntee Registration :  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5490586515192783362 December 12 -  Ephemera: Genealogy Gold Presenter : Sharon S. Atkins Registration :  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6337734935626870274 For the complete list of upcoming webinars, visit  http://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=23

SPRINGFIELD, IL, 6 October 2017 – The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) announces their annual Honors and Awards. ISGS President Dawn Carey Henry will present the Honors & Awards during the Society’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois. Volkel Hall of Fame Marjorie Vance Rice, nominated by Illinois State Genealogical Society, will be inducted into the Volkel Hall of Fame. Lowell M. Volkel was instrumental in establishing and promoting an interest in genealogy in the State of Illinois. He was a founder of the Illinois State Genealogical Society (founded 26 Oct 1968) and its first President, 1968-1970; he served again as President, 1984-1985. In 1970 he became an Archivist in the Illinois State Archives and was the Head of the Reference Unit there from 1974 until his death in 1992. He compiled, edited, and indexed more than 3 dozen volumes of historical sources, co-authored, with Marjorie Smith, “How to R

At ISGS we have just published a special pre-conference edition of the ISGS Newsletter filled with great information in advance of our Fall 2017 Conference in Moline, Illinois. Click HERE to download the newsletter. 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. © 2017, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

SPRINGFIELD, IL, 6 October 2017 – The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) announces their annual Honors and Awards. ISGS President Dawn Carey Henry will present the Honors & Awards during the Society’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois. Community Service Awards: Dr. Greg Langan of Dixon, IL , nominated by the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society, will receive a Community Service Awards for his service to LCHGS and helping to keep history alive. Donald Schmidt and Floyd Ham both of Toulon, IL , nominated by Stark County Genealogical Society, will receive a Community Service Award for their work to record and preserve the genealogy and history of Henry, Stark, Bureau counties. Casey Historical Society, nominated by Linda White, will receive a Community Service Award for the restoration of 149 of the 250 headstones in the Pioneer Section of the Casey-Cumberland Cemetery and continues support

Try-It Illinois is a collection of databases available to Illinois residents for a free trial until November 30. Fold3, Newspaper Archive, Newspapers.com,  and the Historical Chicago Tribune are just a few of the resources that will appeal to genealogists! To get access, request the username and password on the Try-It Illinois website or contact your local public library. © 2017, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

UPDATE: This webinar is now FULL and no further registrations can be handled. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that if you are registered, that you connect to the webinar EARLY on Tuesday, October 10th, starting at 7:30 pm Central. Title :   Funeral Homes and Family History: They're Dying to Meet You Date : Tuesday, October 10, 2017, 8:00 pm Central Description : Most genealogists know to look in a cemetery to find their ancestors, but what about the funeral home? Funeral home records can provide loads of genealogically rich information. This presentation will teach participants what types of records are typically found in funeral homes, how to locate these resources online and "in the field", as well as provide real life examples of how to search for ancillary clues in funeral home records. Presenter : Daniel Earl Daniel Earl  got his start in family history at age 10 when his father took him to the grave of his great-grandfather; that sparked a lifetime of int