Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

WHAT'S YOUR STORY...? Every family's got one...a story, that is. What's yours? Was your ancestor an Illinois native or did he pass through, stay briefly and then move on? Where did they live? What kind of work did they do? What clues did your ancestors leave to mark their path in, around or across this state? Have you considered sharing your ancestor's tale in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly ? Our publication is dedicated to publishing a wide range of original articles with an Illinois connection and we'd love to hear yours. If you have a story you'd like to share, please contact our editor, Richard Anderson, at isgsquarterly@ilgensoc.org . We'll let you know what you need to do to bring your family's story to life! Interested in reading current and past Quarterlies?  Visit our Online Store   where you can easily purchase the current and previous issues in just a few clicks! Our summer issues features an original and intrigu

The July/August issue   of the ISGS Newsletter is now available to both ISGS members and non-members! Visit the ISGS website at   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. © 2019, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Dr. Michael D. Lacopo was born and raised in northern Indiana surrounded by extended family always willing to tell tall  tales. Intrigued by his maternal family’s claim to be kinfolk of Abraham  Lincoln, and his paternal family’s stories of murder and mayhem, he took to genealogical research in 1980 to substantiate these family stories. Genealogical research as a hobby was in its infancy in the  1980s. Combing libraries, archives, cemeteries and courthouses as a  teenager, Michael gained the skills needed to become a keen  researcher. His first major challenge in the world of research was tackled  by finding his adopted mother’s birth parents in 1982. You can  read about this adventure at his blog at Roots4U.blogspot.com with  some engaging story-telling, plot twists and new findings! Although a budding genealogist in the 1980s, Michael completed his  doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1991, while still spending time honing  his research skills. As befitting a doctor, Michael t