Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

ISGS wishes you and your family Happy Holidays and a great New Year!  The holidays are a wonderful time to gather the family together to share new and old stories and memories. Bring a video or tape recorder so you won't miss any important pieces of information! You never know if that old story about "Uncle Hal" may reveal a clue to break down a brick wall- or if your nieces, nephews or grandchildren may someday treasure those family memories of Christmas or Hanukkah 2019! Above is a photo of my great-grandparents, Tony and Susan Marx from Aurora, IL. Though they passed on before I was born, I have heard many happy memories of Christmases with Grandma and Grandpa Marx. Grandpa made a Nativity set completely by hand that has been passed down through the family. What holiday memories does your family like to share? Here's to new family history discoveries and more genealogical learning opportunities in 2020! Candace Marx, Marketing Chair, and all of the ha

The genealogy community has recently been alerted to a proposed fee hike for obtaining federal immigration records. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's Genealogy Program allows family history researchers to obtain citizenship and alien registration files, visa applications, and other records documenting the lives of immigrant ancestors who arrived to the U.S. between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. The proposed changes would nearly triple fees charged to obtain these records- and in some cases, fees would rise nearly 500 percent, from $130 to $625 to obtain a single paper file. The Federal Register   provides details about the proposed rate change- AND on their website, genealogists can make public comments in regards to the fee hike until December 16th.  © 2019, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society