Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

The latest issue of the ISGS Newsletter is now available on the ISGS Website-  CLICK HERE  to view! This issue includes news from November-December and includes highlights from the 2023 Fall Conference, Board Member election results and the 2023 Award Winners! CLICK HERE  to view past issues of the ISGS Newsletter! © 2023, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The 2023 ISGS Honors & Awards recipients were announced at the Annual Meeting held this past Sunday. This year honored a fantastic group for their hard work in "Honoring Illinois Ancestors!" Community Service Award:  This award may be given to an individual, company, or institution for service or contributions to genealogy. Nominations may be made by local genealogical or historical societies. The Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society’s Underground Railroad Conductor Recognition Project Left to right: Susan Rynerson, TCGHS Past President, Candace Marx, ISGS 2nd VP, and John Ackerman, Tazewell County Clerk Beginning in early 2021, TCGHS embarked on a journey to create historical markers and events honoring the men and women that made the Underground Railroad successful in Central Illinois. John Ackerman was the event planner and Susan Rynerson researched the individuals to be honored. As each event was held, the stories of these Underground Railroad conduct...

Follow Us On Instagram! The Illinois State Genealogical Society now has an Instagram page! Check us out at ilstategenealogicalsociety ! Thanks to our Social Media Chair, Roseanne, for keeping our social media exciting and up to date! © 2023, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The North Suburban Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting on Saturday October 14th at 1:00pm. Dan Jungclas will present "The Best Websites for German Genealogy." This meeting will be in person at the Glenview Public Library, and on Zoom. CLICK HERE for more info and to register! The Fox Valley Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting via Zoom on Thursday October 12th, at 7:00pm. Click the graphic above for details and to register! The DuPage County Genealogical Society will be hosting several events this month! October 7th: "Going Vital! Birth, Death and Marriage Records" with Suz Bates (virtual via Zoom) October 14th: "Local Histories at Clues and Color to your Genealogy" with Kimberly Nagy (Wheaton Public Library) October 18th: "Beginning Polish Genealogy" with Jason Kruski (Wheaton Public Library) October 28th: "Assembling the Pieces of Your Family History Puzzle" with Debbie Kroopkin (Wheaton Public Library) C...

The latest issue of the ISGS Newsletter is now available on the ISGS Website- CLICK HERE to view! This issue includes news from May through October- the latest Fall Conference updates, important Annual Meeting information for members, and MUCH more! CLICK HERE to view past issues of the ISGS Newsletter! © 2023, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Details for our upcoming Fall Conference are now available on the ISGS website - we hope to see you in Bloomington/Normal on October 28th! Check out our expert speakers and the topics they will be presenting! Keynote speaker: Dr. David Joens, Director of the  Illinois State Archives David Joens is the Director of the Illinois State Archives , the state agency that is responsible for the preservation of historic Illinois state and local government records. A fifth-generation resident of Illinois, Joens received his Bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, two Master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Springfield, and a doctorate in illinois history from Southern Illinois University in Carbon-dale. He is the author of three books on Illinois history and government, including "From Slave to State Legislator: John W.E. Thomas, Illinois' First African American Lawmaker", published by SIU Press.          Rick Allen Rick lives in Me...

Check out these useful resources and upcoming events for your Illinois family history sleuthing! Genealogy "Lock-In" at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Missouri! Click below for details and to purchase a ticket! Check out the excellent historical documentary series, "Warning Signs: Lincoln's Response to Rising Tensions in the 1850s," developed by the Lincoln Presidential Foundation! Click below to watch now! The next FREE Jamboree Webinar will be held on Wednesday, September 20th at 8:00pm central time. Leslie Carney will present, "Landholders: Ranches to Land Grants." CLICK HERE for more info! Illinois' Underground Railroad: Check out this special historical series published in the Chicago Tribune! The series profiles the journeys of freedom-seekers through Illinois, maps of historical sites, and much more. The PGSA will hold their next meeting on Saturday, September 16th. Learn about recent updates and enhancements to FamilySearch with Camill...