Lake County (IL) Genealogical Society

LCIGS Monthly Meetings

Come Visit us!
Evening meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the following months at 7:00 p.m.:
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October.  

Meetings are held at the Mundelein Park district, 1401 N. Midlothian, Mundelein, IL in the first building just north of the library.  

The annual conference is held in November at another location.

Everyone is welcome!

January 8, 2013:  History of Lake County - Jennifer Hart
Come learn Lake County history from 17th century French voyageurs to county’s settlement in 1830s and beyond. Jennifer will cover aspects of Lake County’s agriculture, resorts, breweries, barbed wire manufacture, motion pictures, religious communities and military installations.

Jennifer Hart is a Museum Educator from the Lake County Discovery Museum. She received her undergrad in History and Museum Studies from Michigan State and her Master’s in Education from DePaul University. Being a transplant from Michigan, she has enjoyed getting to know the local and state history of Illinois and sharing it with others.

February 12, 2013:  Vernon Township: The Birthplace of Lake County - Lisa Marie Smith
Although the village of Lincolnshire has only been in existence since 1957, the historic communities from which it was created have been around for much longer. The towns of Half Day, Prairie View, and Aptakisic were forged by a group of hearty New Englanders who all possessed the same pioneering spirit that enabled them to survive and thrive in their newfound home. Lisa Marie Smith will talk about her book and the history of our neighboring villages. Copies will be available for sale.

Lisa Marie Smith grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Her love of writing and history first came together in the seventh grade when she wrote a play about the American Revolution for her social studies class to perform.  After having taught for a short time in Florida, she found her way back to the familiar surroundings of Illinois. She has served as a children’s librarian and school liaison for more than the past two decades at the Vernon Area Public Library in Lincolnshire, working with countless area children.

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March 12, 2013:  Lake County Archives - Diana Dretske
The Lake County History Archives assists over 400 researchers each year with genealogical and general local history projects, providing access to primary and secondary source materials. This presentation will highlight the archives’ resources, and collections available to researchers.

Diana Dretske is the Lake County Historian and Collections Coordinator for the Lake County Discovery Museum. She is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society for making outstanding contributions in promoting, preserving and commemorating Illinois history. Ms. Dretske chairs the Lake County Historical Alliance, a consortium of local museums and historical societies, and is the author of three Lake County history books, including one on the U.S. Army post at Fort Sheridan.

April 9, 2013:  Final Resting Place: The Stones Tell a Story - Jane Haldeman
Discover more about the life of your great grandfather by understanding the symbols on his gravestone. Learn how to read that death date on grandmother’s deteriorating stone. Find out how to care for that old tombstone before it completely disappears.

Jane Haldeman is co-owner of It’s Relative, www.itsrelative.net, a genealogical service business providing lectures, workshops, research and consultations. She is President, Illinois State Genealogical Society, past President, Fox Valley Genealogical Society and Registrar for the Fort Payne Chapter NSDAR. Jane lives in the suburbs of Chicago and has been researching family history for over 20 years. Her lectures focus on technology as applied to genealogical research.

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May 14, 2013:  Breaking Down a Brick Wall: How I Found the Marriage Record of My Irish Great-Great Grandparents - Nancy R. 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.

Nancy R. Thomas has been President of the DuPage County (IL) Genealogical Society from 1979-1981 and again from 2009-2013. She is also currently Vice-President of CAGGNI (Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois). A retired Professor/Reference Librarian at the College of DuPage, Nancy has been searching for her ancestors and her husband's for over 30 years. She published The Roeser Family: Ancestors and Descendants for a family reunion using Family Tree Maker software. 

June 11, 2013:  The Genealogy Research Process - Sarah A. V. Kirby
Everyone's brain works differently, so if they describe the Genealogy Research Process it will always differ in some respects. This talk briefly reviews several published versions of the process and then goes into depth describing the presenter's own version. One of these versions may "click" for you - helping you to become a researcher with more consistently positive results. Or, you may find that a combination of approaches is best, depending on your research problem.

Sarah has been researching her family since 1994 and has had a surname website since 1997. She started consulting professionally in 2008. She is currently a member of APG, NGS, the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and several other local and regional societies.

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July 9 2013:  Military Genealogy - Tina Beaird
Tina will explain the significance behind using original records for tracing your ancestor's military service.  Records from the American Revolution to WWII will be discussed as well as some sources for modern records.  Learn what types of documents are available within federal, state and local archives.

Tina Beaird is the Genealogy and Local History Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library.  She holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in Archives/Preservation from Dominican University.  Tina has won multiple research and digitization grants to preserve and digitize historic documents and photographs.  She lectures at the national, state and local level on topics including genealogical research, photo preservation and archival preservation.  Tina has been doing genealogical research for over twenty years and has offered professional assistance to researchers for over 10 years.

August 13, 2013:  Reading Between the Lines of the City Directory - Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG
Searching in city directories is more than just looking up a name.  Every directory is unique. They contain great historical context and a view into the life of your ancestor.  This lecture will teach you how to get the most out of this wonderful resource and further your research.

Teresa Steinkamp McMillin is a Certified Genealogist^SM who specializes in German-American and Midwest research, as well as reading German script.  She has been interested in genealogy since she was a child and currently has many satisfied clients.  She presents genealogical lectures for local societies and national conferences.

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October 8, 2013:  Synopsis of Researching the Forbidden - Terri O'Connell
We all have family secrets.  Stories that are whispered to a select few and hidden from the rest.  Some secrets go with our ancestors to the grave while others are eventually exposed.  Why do we feel the need to hold these family secrets?  What can we learn about our past that will help us in the present and the generations to come?  What records are available and what can you learn to sort out these family secrets?  Learn what the records can tell you, even if you were not looking for it.

Terri O'Connell is a professional genealogist, lecturer and freelance writer who has been researching her family roots since the 1990's.  Her primary research focuses are Irish and Midwestern United States genealogy.  Terri is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the In-Depth Genealogist, a digital community for all genealogists. 

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