“The Bonds of War”

Presented by Diana Dretske

Diana Dretske will present her recently published book with Southern Illinois University Press, The Bonds of War. The book is a collective biography of five immigrants from the British Isles, who served with the 96^th Illinois Infantry during the American Civil War. The presentation will include her work to fully identify the portrait of these men which led her to research their lives in Lake County, and explore the significance of their voluntary military service and desire to be recognized as American citizens.

Diana Dretske is the Curator and Lake County historian for the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County. Dretske has been researching the history of northeastern Illinois for over 30 years and has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society for her outstanding contributions in promoting, preserving and commemorating Illinois history.

“The Great Chicago Fire”

Presented by Raymond Johnson

The night of October 8, 1871 was warmer and dryer than usual and Chicago had just recovered from a significant fire the night before.  A spark in the barn of the O’Leary family on DeKoven Street, a strong southwest wind, and an exhausted fire department all added to a perfect storm of wood and flame that would destroy over one-third of the young, growing city of Chicago.  What was it like to live through this inferno?  Do we know what started it even today?  How and why was Chicago able to survive the calamity?  Were there other fires linked to the Great Fire?  Where can you find reminders of the fire in the city today?

Ray was born in Chicago and has been a life-long resident of the Chicagoland area.   He is also a life-long enthusiast of Chicago history and is a local historian, genealogist, author and lecturer.  He is a former criminal investigator and police instructor with the West Chicago Police Department in Du Page County and upon leaving police work, started his own historical and genealogical research company at www.historycop.com , He has provided research for many other authors, attorneys, family historians, and television shows.  He has appeared as a Chicago history expert on The History Channel, Discovery ID, The Travel Channel, and BBC.  He has been featured locally for his research on WGN, CBS, ABC, and in various publications.  He has written three books on Chicago history and writes a Chicago History Blog for ChicagoNow which is owned by the Chicago Tribune.  Four years ago he started, “Friends of The White City” which is a 501c3 dedicated to educating the public on the significance of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. 

“Discovering Your UK/Irish Roots On-line:
Websites and Resources for English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish Ancestry”

Presented by Debra Dudek

There is no such thing as “one stop genealogy shopping”! This program will lead you through the resources and search techniques for the three big UK databases: FindMyPast, ScotlandsPeople and RootsIreland. Learn what’s new on these databases, how you can apply them to your research and how privacy and information rights impact your quest for records.

Debra M. Dudek is Head of Adult and Teen Services at the Fountaindale Public Library District in Bolingbrook, IL.  She holds a post graduate certificate in Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and is the author of the World War I Research Guide: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors – Includes a Guide to Canadian Military Research which is available in paperback and as an ebook on Amazon.com.

“GETTING THE MOST OUT OF NEWSPAPERS.COM”

Presented by Jennie Warner

Jenny will show you how to use Newspapers.com like a pro. You will learn new skills such as clipping digital articles, downloading different formats and how to use search.

Jennie Warner has been doing genealogy research for 42 years.  She holds offices in many local lineage groups and genealogical societies. She is the current President of the DuPage County Genealogical Society, Incoming Chapter Regent of John Butler Chapter, NSDU, Incoming Vice President of Chicago Colony of National Society of New England Women and Incoming Treasurer of the Genealogy Speakers Guild.

She loves sharing my knowledge of family history and also likes helping people learn about their heritage.

“Researching the Dairy State: Wisconsin Family History”

Presented by Maureen Brady

The families which came to Illinois and Wisconsin came from varied ethnic backgrounds and created a varied landscape of urban and rural environments.  The records which were created by, and about, them reflect that variety, both in type and availability.  This presentation will first examine the similarities between Illinois and

Wisconsin family history resources, and then look at the unique records of each state, including ethnic, religious and governmental archives and repositories.  The discussion will also include a brief review of the history of this part of the “Old Northwest”, and how that history has impacted the records which were created.

Maureen Brady is a former school librarian and computer educator. She has over 25 years’ experience with family history research, is a professional genealogist and owner of Bare Roots Genealogical Services. Maureen has made numerous presentations to Illinois and Wisconsin genealogical societies, libraries, conferences, and workshops, as well as presenting at the 2002 National Genealogical Society Conference.  She is a member of many genealogical and family history societies in the U.S. and Scotland.

“Adoption Searches – Past and Present”

Presented by Matt Rutherford

Having an adopted ancestor can often be one of the most frustrating and challenging aspects of genealogy research. In times past, records of adoptions weren’t as well kept as they are today, making searching for the link between birth parents and adoptees difficult. And, in modern times, adoption searches are often hindered by legal barriers. We’ll discuss techniques & tips for researching American adoptions in all time periods.

Matt Rutherford, MLIS, is Curator of Genealogy and Local History at the Newberry Library. In addition to managing the Newberry’s renowned genealogy collection, Matt has also answered thousands of questions on a wide range of genealogy topics. He has spoken at the Illinois State Genealogical Society and the Conference on Illinois History, as well as several local genealogy societies, including the North Suburban Genealogical Society, the Elgin Genealogical Society, Genealogical Forum of Elmhurst, and the Illinois St. Andrew Society. In addition, Matt teaches seminars on a variety of genealogy topics, including beginning genealogy, researching at the Newberry Library, using repositories and archives, researching pre-fire Chicago, adoption searches, non-population census schedules, and the history of the federal census. He is the co-author of “A Bibliography of African American History” at the Newberry Library (2005).

“Holy Cow, Where are my Chicago Catholics Now?”

Presented by Teresa Steinkamp McMillin 

The first Chicago Catholic church opened in 1833 and by 1900 there were about 140 Catholic churches in the city. Finding your Catholic ancestor’s sacramental records (baptism, confirmation, marriage and funeral) can be a  daunting task without a few key pieces of information. This lecture will explain how to find the data necessary to tap into these valuable resources. Once potential churches are identified, the process of finding the records for that church and timeframe will be explained.

Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG^SM Owner, Genealogist Teresa Steinkamp McMillin is a Certified Genealogist^sm who specializes in German-American and Midwest research, as well as reading German script. She presents quality genealogy lectures for local and national organizations. Teresa was the 2007 recipient of the National Genealogical Society’s Home Study Course, which she has completed. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, as well as many local genealogical societies. She is the co-president for the Northwest Suburban Council of Genealogists.