British Interest Group of Wisconsin and Illinois
Upcoming events of regional interest (in Wisconsin, Illinois & nearby portions of neighboring states):If you need to have larger text for ease of reading, nearly all web browsers have a feature to increase (or decrease) the size of the text. This control is usually located somewhere in the View menu of the browser, with a sub-menu name such as “Zoom” or “Text size.”
Be sure also to check the listing of upcoming BIGWILL meetings! You may also want to check out the various cultural events (Highland Games, Irish Fests, etc.) listed on the Upcoming events of British Isles interest web page.
17 March 2012 - “What’s New in Technology”
26 February 2012
Regular meeting of the Computer-Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois.
Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg, Illinois. Ed Rosenthal will be the speaker. 2012 promises to be a great year in technology! Join CAGG-NI for their ever-popular and only regular yearly offering. The meeting starts at 10:30 am. For further information visit the CAGG-NI Meetings web page.
21 March 2012 - “Breaking Down a Brick Wall: A Case Study in Unlocking My Irish Ancestry / How I Found the Marriage Record of My Irish Great-Great Grandparents”
29 December 2011
Regular meeting of the DuPage County (IL) Genealogical Society.
Wheaton Public Library (lower level meeting room), 225 N. Cross St., Wheaton, Illinois. The speaker will be Nancy Thomas. Learn how listening to family stories can lead you from known facts to the unknown. Newspapers, census records, church records, online indexes, and maps resulted in the breaking down of a major brick wall. This presentation will show the step-by-step process and analysis used to tackle Irish research successfully. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm (social period starts at 6:30 pm). See the DCGS Meetings page for further information.
Beware: this website uses frames technology, which makes printing rather challenging.
2 April 2012 - “A Night of the Round Tables”
19 March 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Irish Genealogical Society of Wisconsin.
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee. A Night of the Round Tables is your chance to share your genealogy quest with other IGSW members. The roundtables - small group discussions - let you get and give advice, share your successes, collaborate with others, and use the resources of the Irish Emigration Library. This is the release date for the 1940 census, so this will be among the topics of discussion. There will also have a table led by Dick Ammann to share online sites for Irish / Celtic genealogy. The meeting starts at 7 pm. For further information visit the meetings page of the IGSW or contact Sue Dolinar by e-mail.
5 April 2012 - “Burnham’s Chicago”
13 February 2012
Monthly meeting of the Tinley Moraine Genealogists.
Tinley Park Public Library, 7851 Timber Dr., Tinley Park, Illinois. The speaker will be Terry Lynch. Meeting starts at 6:45 pm. For further information visit the TMG programs and meetings calendar or send an e-mail message to <tinleymoraine@yahoo.com>.
5 April 2012 - “Getting the Most Out of an Obituary”
19 March 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Dane County Area Genealogical Society.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (chapel), 4505 Regent St., Madison, Wisconsin. George L. Findlen, CGSM, will be the speaker. George will demonstrate how to maximize the information you can get from this mostly free resource using genealogy software and an internet connection. Watch carefully. George will show you how to find funeral homes and newspapers serving your family, search for obits mentioning them, cut and paste those obits in your software, create a source note, and extract more information from them than you ever thought they had. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm.
7 April 2012 - “Searching for Great Grandpa - Find Your Union Soldier”
21 December 2011
Regular monthly meeting of the Northwest Suburban Council of Genealogists.
Arlington Heights Senior Center, 1801 W. Central Rd., Arlington Heights, Illinois. Jerry Allen will be the speaker. Meeting starts at 10:00 am (with a half-hour time for casual discussion preceeding the presentation). See the meetings page of the NWSCG for further information.
10 April 2012 - “Taking Postcards Seriously”
19 March 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Lake County (IL) Genealogical Society.
Mundelein Park District (Mundelein Community Center?), 1401 N. Midlothian Rd., Mundelein, Illinois (first building just north of the library). Christine Pyle, historical resources manager for the Lake County Discovery Museum, will be the speaker. A penny to buy and a penny to send, postcards were a cheap, efficient, and colorful means of communication. This program is a look into the Curt Teich Postcard Archives, the world’s largest publicly held repository of postcards and the materials used to produce them. The beginning of the postcard business in the U.S. and how postcards document late 19th and 20th century life will be discussed. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm. See the meetings page of the Lake County Genealogical Society’s web site for further information.
12-14 April 2012 - “History and Genealogy: Finding Clues to Ancestral Lives”
9 February 2012
51st Annual Conference of the Ohio Genealogical Society.
Intercontinental Hotel, 9801 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. Visit the conference web page for further details. Note that there is an “e-zine” which you can subscribe to for this conference; this may help keep you abreast of new developments in the conference plans (this webmaster has never seen any issues, despite having been subscribed for quite some time). There is also a conference blog. Download the conference registration brochure to view a complete schedule of lectures and workshops and a printable registration form. There will be sixty-five lectures and ten workshops. Lectures of special interest to British Isles researchers will include “Effective Use of ScotlandsPeople Website” (Paul Milner), “The Scots-Irish: Origins, Emigration, Religion, and Research Sources” (Richard M. Doherty), “Locating and Ordering English and Welsh Civil Registration Records ” (George G. Morgan), and “Effective Use of FindMyPast Website ” (Paul Milner). Note that the Western Reserve Historical Society will have extended research hours during this conference. The early (discounted) registration deadline is 12 March.
18 April 2012 - “Finding and Using Sanborn Maps”
29 December 2011
Regular meeting of the DuPage County (IL) Genealogical Society.
Wheaton Public Library (lower level meeting room), 225 N. Cross St., Wheaton, Illinois. The speaker will be Jeffrey Bockman. Fire insurance maps show you where your city and town dwelling ancestors lived and worked. They provide the shape of the building, construction details, show address changes, plus information on the neighbors, and local businesses. Use them to follow the census taker and to help identify photos. Find out how to locate and understand them. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm (social period starts at 6:30 pm). See the DCGS Meetings page for further information.
Beware: this website uses frames technology, which makes printing rather challenging.
18 April 2012 - “What’s in the 1940 Federal Census?”
7 April 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Burlington Genealogical Society.
Burlington Gateway Technical College (next to Burlington High School, at the end of McCanna Parkway) conference room (off the main lobby), Burlington, Wisconsin. Marshall Wren will be the speaker. The 1940 federal census of population will be released on 2 April. Marshall will show what’s available on the census and explain why it is an invaluable research tool. The census will be immediately available online in its raw format, but there will be no index for several months. There are also some census videos available, and some guides for determining enumeration districts on the census. Marshall will also discuss the efforts of FamilySearch to produce an index for the 1940 census, and how members of our group could assist with the process. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. For further information, view the BGS event calendar or contact Merilyn Romani, (262)215-2225, Judy Rockwell, (262)742-4306, Dave Nelson, (262)770-4986, or Dick Ammann.
21 April 2012 - “1940 Census Panel Discussion”
22 February 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society.
Hazel Crest Municipal/Police Building Board Room, 3000 W. 170th Pl. (east end of complex), Hazel Crest, Illinois. Meeting starts at 10:00 am. See the SSGHS Calendar of Events for further information.
26 April 2012 - “Photo Identification”
29 January 2012
Monthly meeting of the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group.
Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Illinois. Rosemarie Courtney will give the presentation. Meeting starts at 1 pm. Handouts for this meeting may be viewable/printable at ipgg.wordpress.com. For further information visit the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group web page.
26 April 2012 - “Genealogy Trips – More Than Just Records”
21 April 2012
Monthly meeting of the Kane County Genealogical Society.
Geneva History Center (first floor meeting room), 113 S. 3rd St., Geneva, Illinois. Jeff Bockman will be the speaker. Besides obtaining records, a trip to the old country can be an interesting aspect to family research. Mr. Bockman will highlight the importance of making connects with cousins, seeing family homes and learning about the places in which ancestors lived. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm. Follow the “Meeting Information” link on the Kane County Genealogical society’s home page for further information.
27-28 April 2012 - 2012 Gene-A-Rama – You’re Invited to the Social (Media)!
21 January 2012
Sponsored by the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, hosted by the Bay Area Genealogical Society.
The Hyatt Hotel and KI Convention Center, 333 Main St., Green Bay, Wisconsin. The featured speaker will be Thomas MacEntee. His lectures will include “Behind the Cheese Curtain: A Look at Wisconsin Genealogy Resources,” “Facebook for Genealogists,” “Managing Your Genealogy Data,” “They’re Alive – Searching for Living Persons,” and “Genealogy Party Line: Hung Up on Technology.” Other speakers will include George Findlen, CGSM, Mary Rieder, and Vickie Schnitzler. Periodically visit the WSGS website for further information as the plans develop for Gene-A-Rama 2011 (a conference registration form is there now, but few other details regarding the program). Early (discounted) registration deadline is 6 April. There will be numerous vendor displays. (Interested in exhibiting at this seminar? Print the vendor registration form – exhibitor application deadline is 30 March.)
27-28 April 2012 - “Central and Eastern European Genealogy Conference”
6 March 2012
Spring conference of the Minnesota Genealogical Society; co-sponsored by these MGS branches: Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, the Germanic Genealogy Society, the Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota, the Pommern Regional Group of Minnesota, and the Romanian Genealogy Society.
Inver Hills Community College, Fine Arts Building, 2500 E. 80th St., Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. John Philip Colletta will be the featured speaker. Other speakers will include Jerome V. Biedny, Jr., Alice Eichholz, CGSM, Bogdan Filipescu, J. H. Fonkert, CG, Al Kranz, Ryan Mattke, Zella Mirick, Daniel Necas, Raluca Octav, LaVern Rippley, John L. Rys, Glenn Schmidt, and David W. Suddarth. The Friday evening talk will be “Discovering the Real Stories of Your Immigrant Ancestors ” (Colletta). There will be seventeen talks on Saturday, two talks by Colletta and three sets of simultaneous breakout sessions: “U.S. Passenger Arrival Records, 1820-1930s: Sources and Strategies for Challenging Cases” (Colletta), “Patterns of German Settlement in Minnesota and the Midwest” (Rippley), “Discovering CGSI Databases” (Kranz ), “Early Records from Twin City Polish Churches” (Rys), “Researching Romanian Ancestors in the U.S.” (Filipescu & Octav), “Using Maps and Gazetteers: How to Match a Place-Name to a Location” (Mattke), “Reading Gothic Script” (Mirick), “Overcoming Research Brickwalls: A Case Study” (Schmitt), “American Records in Polish-American Research” (Biedny), “Romanian Holdings of the Immigration History Research Center” (Necas), “DNA for Genealogists” (Rys), “Reading and Using German Church Records” (Mirick), “An Overview of the Czech and Slovak Newspapers in the IHRC Collection” (Necas), “European Records in Polish Genealogical Research” (Biedny), “So You’ve Found Your Romanian Ancestral Village” (Filipescu & Octav), “Applying DNA to Genealogical Problems” (panel discussion: Eichholz, Fonkert, & Suddarth), and “The County Courthouse: Your ‘Trunk in the Attic’” (Colletta). Visit the MHS conference web page for further information; view the conference brochure to get a printable registration form. Early (discounted) registration deadline is 14 April; an even greater discount is available for registrations received by 17 March.
28 April 2012 - Indiana Genealogical Society 2012 Annual Conference
2 March 2012
23rd Annual Conference and Meeting of the Indiana Genealogical Society.
The featured speaker will be Debra S. Mieszala, CGSM. Other speakers will be Michael Hall, Melissa Shimkus, and Curtis Sylvester. The conference will feature two tracks. The lectures will be “Lessons From A Snoop: Collaterals and Associates” (Mieszala), “What’s New With FamilySearch” (Hall), “Bringing Our Soldiers Home” (Mieszala), “Becoming Expert On Using Ancestry” (Shimkus), “Digging Through Documents Word By Word” (Mieszala), “Finding Indiana Records and Research in FamilySearch” (Hall), “Patently Unique: Locating Patent Records, Online and Off” (Mieszala), and “Writing A Book Using Family Tree Maker and Microsoft Word” (Sylvester). For more information and access to both online registration and a printable registration form, visit the conference web page.
28 April 2012 - “Methods for Cultivating Our Family Trees”
9 March 2012
42nd Annual Family History Conference of the St. Louis Genealogical Society (formerly called their “Annual Fair”).
Maryland Heights Centre, 2344 McKelvey Rd., Maryland Heights, Missouri. The featured speakers will be Thomas W. Jones, CGSM, CGLSM, FASG, FUGA, FNGS, FIGRS, FUGA, and Leland Meitzler. Other speakers will include Stephen Comfort-Mason, Deborah E. Cribbs, Michael “Mike” Everman, Carole Meltzer Goggin, Bob Goode, Patricia Walls Stamm, CG, CGL, Edward “Ted” Steele, and Carol Whitton, CG. There will be thirteen lectures in five time slots: “Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Ancestor” (Jones), “Getting Started in Genealogy” (Steele), “Five Proven Techniques for Finding Your Ancestor’s European Origins” (Jones), “Living Between the Lines: Local Court Records from the Missouri State Archives” (Everman), “PC Genealogical Software Programs: Legacy and RootsMagic” (Stamm & Steele), “Germanic Research from the Perspective of a Long-Term Genealogy Editor” (Meitzler), “Migration Patterns from the East Coast to the Midwest” (Goggin), “PC Genealogical Software Programs: The Master Genealogist and Family Tree Maker” (Whitton & Comfort-Mason), “Overcoming Surprising Research Barriers” (Jones), “Mapping Your Way to Genealogical Success” (Stamm), “Macintosh Genealogical Software Program: Reunion” (Goode), “Using ‘Correlation’ to Reveal Facts That No Record States” (Jones), and “Manuscripts: Finding the Diamond in the Rough” (Cribbs). View the conference booklet for a complete list of lectures (with mini-abstracts), a conference schedule, biographical sketches for all of the speakers, and a printable registration form. Online registration is also available. Early registration deadline is 14 April.
5 May 2012 - “Finding Online Newspapers”
21 December 2011
Regular monthly meeting of the Northwest Suburban Council of Genealogists.
Arlington Heights Senior Center, 1801 W. Central Rd., Arlington Heights, Illinois. Sarah A. V. Kirby will be the speaker. Meeting starts at 10:00 am (with a half-hour time for casual discussion preceeding the presentation). See the meetings page of the NWSCG for further information.
5 May 2012 - “Speed Dating for Genealogists”
4 January 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Chicago Genealogical Society.
Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., Chicago. Come and participate in an exciting and fun new program. Bring your “brick wall” research questions and you will have an opportunity to ask an expert. You will only have a limited time for each question. SPEED is the key, so be clear and specific with your questions. Participate and also learn from other members as they get help on their “brick walls.” It will be an interactive and enjoyable program. The meeting starts at 1:30 pm. For further information, including details concerning limited parking and public transportation, see the calendar web page of the CGS.
7 May 2012 - “Field of Blood, Field of the Forgotten: A History of Milwaukee County’s Potter’s Field”
19 March 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Irish Genealogical Society of Wisconsin.
Shorewood Public Library (lower level meeting room), 3920 N. Murray Ave., Shorewood. Dr. Michael McBride, psychiatrist with the Veterans Administration and Medical College, will be the speaker. He will present his discoveries about the old pauper burial grounds near the medical center in Wauwatosa. Dr. McBride has been researching this forgotten site for several years, and will be talking about the institutions, the residents and their final resting place. He is an engaging speaker and this is sure to be an interesting presentation. The meeting starts at 7 pm. For further information visit the meetings page of the IGSW or contact Sue Dolinar by e-mail.
16 May 2012 - “From Land Records to Google Earth: Mapping your Family’s Place”
29 December 2011
Regular meeting of the DuPage County (IL) Genealogical Society.
Wheaton Public Library (lower level meeting room), 225 N. Cross St., Wheaton, Illinois. The speaker will be Jane Haldeman. There are numerous sources that give our ancestor’s legal land description; where are they and what do they mean? Learn where to look and how to convert section and range into Google Earth to see how that property looks today. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm (social period starts at 6:30 pm). See the DCGS Meetings page for further information.
Beware: this website uses frames technology, which makes printing rather challenging.
16 May 2012 - “Courthouse Records”
29 January 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Burlington Genealogical Society.
Burlington Gateway Technical College (next to Burlington High School, at the end of McCanna Parkway) conference room (off the main lobby), Burlington, Wisconsin. Kim Baugrud will be the speaker. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. For further information, view the BGS event calendar or contact Merilyn Romani, (262)215-2225, Judy Rockwell, (262)742-4306, Dave Nelson, (262)770-4986, or Dick Ammann.
19 May 2012 - “The Rolls of LaSalle County and Ottawa in the Civil War”
22 April 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the LaSalle County Genealogy Guild.
LaSalle County Genealogy Guild Headquarters, 115 W. Glover St., Ottawa, Illinois. The speaker will be Ron Slack. The presentation will cover events, military units, and individuals who were a part of the struggle to keep the Union together. The meeting starts at 1 pm. Contact the guild at <lscgg@sbcglobal.net> or call them at (815)433-5261 between 9am and 4pm on Monday or Saturday for further information.
20 May 2012 - a presentation about the 1940 census
26 February 2012
Regular quarterly meeting of the Polish Genealogical Society of America.
Polish Museum of America, 984 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, Illinois. The speaker will be Cynthia Piech. The presentation will include what is on the census, how to search the census using Steve Morse’s one-step search tool, and how to volunteer to index the 1940 census. To learn more, visit the PGSA home page or the PGSA Calendar of Events web page. The meeting starts at 2 pm.
20 May 2012 - Forest Hill Cemetery Tour
21 March 2012
Sponsored by Historic Madison Inc., of Wisconsin, publishers of Forest Hill Cemetery: A Biographical Guide to the Ordinary and Famous Women and Men Who Shaped Madison and the World.
Forest Hill Cemetery, 1 Speedway Rd., Madison, Wisconsin. In honor of Madison’s 175th anniversary and the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, this year’s tour will focus on Madison’s earliest pioneers and the soldiers involved in the great battles of the war to date. The tour starts at 1:00 pm from the Catlin Chapel; admission is free. Note that there are usually two organized tours of Forest Hill Cemetery each year; the other – “Talking Spirits ... ” – is hosted by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation.
24 May 2012 - “Researching at Newberry Library”
29 January 2012
Monthly meeting of the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group.
Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Illinois. Sandi Trapp will give the presentation. Meeting starts at 1 pm. Handouts for this meeting may be viewable/printable at ipgg.wordpress.com. For further information visit the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group web page.
24 May 2012 - A presentation on Sanborn fire insurance maps
6 May 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Bureau County Genealogical Society.
BCGS library, 629 S. Main Street, Princeton, Illinois. The speakers will be Hope Browning and Les Cavada. They will speak on the importance of the Sanborn fire insurance maps. These are very helpful when looking up the places your family lived and the changes made to the homes. Mr. Cavada will speak on the older houses in the area. He will explain the different types of architecture, how you can tell their approximate age, and what these styles are called. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm. Send an e-mail message to bureaucounty@gmail.com for further information. There may also be further information on the BCGS Upcoming Meetings page.
2 June 2012 - “Miracles, Mysteries & Mayhem: Online Family Trees”
4 January 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Chicago Genealogical Society.
Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., Chicago. The speaker will be Jeanne Larzalere Bloom. We want to build on the research of others but those online family trees often contain miracles, mysteries and mayhem. Does the tree need to be pruned? Learn effective techniques to determine if branches on a tree are diseased or if they are healthy. The meeting starts at 1:30 pm. For further information, including details concerning limited parking and public transportation, see the calendar web page of the CGS.
9 June 2012 - “Pullman Porters”
22 February 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society.
Hazel Crest Municipal/Police Building Board Room, 3000 W. 170th Pl. (east end of complex), Hazel Crest, Illinois. Tony Burroughs will be the speaker. Meeting starts at 10:00 am. See the SSGHS Calendar of Events for further information.
16 June 2012 - “Genealogy Church Records”
22 April 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the LaSalle County Genealogy Guild.
LaSalle County Genealogy Guild Headquarters, 115 W. Glover St., Ottawa, Illinois. The speaker will be Rachel Mellon. The meeting starts at 1 pm. Contact the guild at <lscgg@sbcglobal.net> or call them at (815)433-5261 between 9am and 4pm on Monday or Saturday for further information.
20 June 2012 - “Computer and Online Genealogical Resources”
27 February 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Burlington Genealogical Society.
Burlington Gateway Technical College (next to Burlington High School, at the end of McCanna Parkway) conference room (off the main lobby), Burlington, Wisconsin. A round-table discussion among members of the most popular genealogy software and websites which people are using, and what is available. Computers and a digital projector will be available for viewing sites and software. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. For further information, view the BGS event calendar or contact Merilyn Romani, (262)215-2225, Judy Rockwell, (262)742-4306, Dave Nelson, (262)770-4986, or Dick Ammann.
28 June 2012 - “Backing Up Data Outside Your Computer”
29 January 2012
Monthly meeting of the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group.
Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Illinois. Tom Weiland will give the presentation. Meeting starts at 1 pm. Handouts for this meeting may be viewable/printable at ipgg.wordpress.com. For further information visit the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group web page.
28 June 2012 - “Living with Brick Walls”
6 May 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the Bureau County Genealogical Society.
BCGS library, 629 S. Main Street, Princeton, Illinois. The speaker will be Jeffrey A. Bockman. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm. Send an e-mail message to bureaucounty@gmail.com for further information. There may also be further information on the BCGS Upcoming Meetings page.
14 July 2012 - “Sears Houses”
22 February 2012
Regular monthly meeting of the South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society.
Hazel Crest Municipal/Police Building Board Room, 3000 W. 170th Pl. (east end of complex), Hazel Crest, Illinois. Rebecca Hunter will be the speaker. Meeting starts at 10:00 am. See the SSGHS Calendar of Events for further information.
20-21 July 2002 - “Midwestern Roots 2012: Family History and Genealogy Conference”
13 February 2012
Sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society.
Indianapolis Marriott East, 7202 E. 21st St., Indianapolis, Indiana. Periodically visit the conference web page to learn further details as the plans develop for this conference.
26 July 2012 - “Swedish Research”
29 January 2012
Monthly meeting of the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group.
Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Illinois. Kathy Meade will give the presentation. Meeting starts at 1 pm. Handouts for this meeting may be viewable/printable at ipgg.wordpress.com. For further information visit the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group web page.
23 August 2012 - “Military Records”
29 January 2012
Monthly meeting of the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group.
Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Illinois. Barbara Stratton will give the presentation. Meeting starts at 1 pm. Handouts for this meeting may be viewable/printable at ipgg.wordpress.com. For further information visit the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group web page.
27 September 2012 - “What You Will Find in the 1940 Census”
29 January 2012
Monthly meeting of the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group.
Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Illinois. Kathryn Barrett will give the presentation. Meeting starts at 1 pm. Handouts for this meeting may be viewable/printable at ipgg.wordpress.com. For further information visit the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group web page.
19-20 October 2012 - “Family History in Profile”
23 January 2012
Fall 2012 conference of the Illinois State Genealogical Society.
Rockford, Illinois.
25 October 2012 - “Blogs”
29 January 2012
Monthly meeting of the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group.
Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Illinois. Myra Walcott will give the presentation. Meeting starts at 1 pm. Handouts for this meeting may be viewable/printable at ipgg.wordpress.com. For further information visit the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group web page.
15 November 2012 - “Naturalization Records”
29 January 2012
Monthly meeting of the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group.
Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Illinois. Mary Krekelberg will give the presentation. Meeting starts at 1 pm. Handouts for this meeting may be viewable/printable at ipgg.wordpress.com. For further information visit the Indian Prairie Genealogy Group web page.
There have been
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How does this list get assembled? Well, it’s partly automated, but mostly manual. The automated part is that I have tools in place which alert me whenever a web page which contains a particular society’s calendar of events has changed. Not every society’s calendar of events, mind you – just the ones which I have already found. (An exception is any calendar web page containing extraneous material which changes daily – I have found it impractical to monitor such web pages.) I also monitor several other event calendars, such as the one maintained by FGS, for new listings. A few societies whose web sites aren’t always kept up-to-date regularly send me press releases by email. There are two manual parts. One is obvious – the actual listings in this listed are “hand edited” by me, mostly to achieve greater consistency, but also to put as much information about the talks as I can into a relatively small number of words. The other is perhaps less obvious – the selection of what meetings actually get added to the list. My “rules” aren’t hard and fast, but I follow them pretty closely. I’d like to see:
- The event is sponsored by a non-profit society
- The event includes a lecture and has a title which describes the lecture topic
- The topic is relevant to the study of family history
- There is contact information usable for getting more information than I can include here, preferably via the internet (i.e., a web site or an email address)
- The name of the speaker(s), the location and the starting time are clearly identified
So what can a society do to get its meetings listed here? Let me know how I can easily keep track of them! If the problem is simply that I didn’t find the time to include some particular meeting, I’ll fess up to that (privately) – it certainly happens from time to time. And, oh yes – if you see a mistake in a listing, please let me know.
What’s the problem with “frames technology”? Frames technology is a web page coding technology which dedicates different parts (“frames”) of the browser window for different purposes, such as a header, a list of menu choices, a display of data, etc.There are several reasons why this coding technology is not ideal, but the one which bothers this webmaster the most has to do with printing. In many situations, only one frame is printed when the viewer asks for a printout of the web page – invariably NOT the one the viewer is most interested in. If viewing a website which uses frames technology, make sure the cursor is active in the area (i.e., having been clicked while located in the area) you are most interested in when you ask for a printout.
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This page was last modified on 6 May 2012