From Piles to Files: Let’s Get Organized

Presented by Teresa Steinkamp McMillin

Years of research can generate many documents. To keep track of all your valuable information, a workable organization plan is a must. Can you find the documents you have? When you receive a new document, do you know exactly where you’re going to put it so that you will find it easily? The lecture will discuss organization methods for paper and digital files.

Teresa is a Certified Genealogist 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 has actively researched her German ancestry, as well as her husband’s Chicago Irish roots. She presents quality genealogy lectures for local and national organizations. She has attended the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and has taken college-level German courses.

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.

Naturalization: Beginning of Your U.S. Family Heritage

Presented by Steve Szabados

Find your roots. Find the naturalization papers of your ancestors and see the beginning of your America History. This program starts with the history of the naturalization process and a review of the requirements and then discusses where your ancestors were naturalized, which is the key to finding their documents. Traditional and online sources are reviewed. This is a great program to find clues to your heritage.

Szabados is a lecturer and author who has given numerous programs to genealogy groups and libraries. He is the author of over ten genealogy books and is also a contributing editor for the Polish American Journal. He is a member of Polish Genealogical Society of America, Northwest Suburban Genealogy Society, Illinois Genealogy Society and a genealogy volunteer at his local library. He has a passion to share his love of family history and his courses cover the methods that he has found successful.

200 Objects That Made History in Lake & McHenry Counties

Presented by Debra Fanfrei

Every artifact tells a story.  Learn about the history of Lake County through the artifacts featured in the new book 200 Objects that Made History in Lake and McHenry Counties.  Debbie Fandrei, curator of the Raupp Museum in Buffalo Grove and project manager for the book, will show pictures and share stories of 30 of the different artifacts, ranging from a mammoth bone to a 1940’s football. She will also talk about the collaboration between 23 different museums which produced the book.

Debbie Fandrei was born and raised in Grayslake, and attended college in Minnesota and Virginia.  After an internship at the Milwaukee Public Museum, she decided she wanted to work in history museums because of all the great stories that museums share with visitors.  After twenty years at the Raupp Museum in Buffalo Grove, she still thinks she made the right choice…

Effective Use of E-mail and Message Boards

Presented by Dan Niemiec

There are days that I wish there were a Facebook page just for genealogists! I would love to be able to post a question about a particular family, or a specific town, or both, and have everybody see it who has even a moderate interest. Everybody would try to answer the question. They would either tell me what I need to know, or teach me how to find it for myself, or both.

Dan’s sense of humor in his presentations make it enjoyable for everyone even if they have little to do with the topic being presented.  But everybody always learns something new, whether beginners or experts. Dan has been the genealogy columnist for Fra Noi since 2004. For the past 25 years, he has researched his genealogy back 17 generations, plus tracing descendants of his ancestors, yielding 74,000 relatives. His major focus is on civil and church records in Italy, Chicago vital records, Chicago Catholic records and most major genealogy web sites. He has given dozens of presentations to many local and some national genealogy societies on topics such as cemetery research, Catholic records, Italian records, Ellis Island and newspaper research, among others.

Researching Colonial American Ancestors

Presented by Jane Haldeman

Did your ancestor live in one of the Original Thirteen Colonies? Were they here before the Revolutionary War? If so you possibly have Colonial American Ancestors. Each colonist came to the “new world” for different reasons and each colony was different. They come for both religious and economic opportunities. Find out what records are available and where they are, so you can learn about your Colonial American Ancestors.

The Most Helpful Genealogy Tools You’ve Never Used

by Marsha Peterson-Maas

Marsha offers a wealth of helpful tools plus instruction for practical uses on the topics of:

• Forensic Genealogy Tools (Photo Analysis, Spreadsheet and Map Tools)
• Research Tools (Military Research Tools)
• Organizational Tools (Time Crunch Strategy, Evernote/One Note for genealogy and Cheat Sheets & Templates)
• Presentation Tools (FamilySearch Memories, Thomas MacEntee’s “Go-Over” and “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

These topics are chosen directly from the textbook, Fundamentals of Genealogy®: The Most Helpful Tools You’ve Never Used . . . textbooks are distributed before the lecture so participants can peruse them during the lecture and can optionally purchase to take home for $20/each (this price is a 20% discount).

Marsha got her start in genealogy in high school when she entered a family history project in the State of Illinois History competition and tied for State Champion. Her first formal training in genealogy was at The Newberry Library-Chicago in the beginner’s class that she now teaches. Along with being a national-level speaker, teacher and lecturer on many genealogy topics since 2002, Marsha is author of the Fundamentals of Genealogy® textbook series where she is publishing four textbooks, (1) Basics for Everyone, (2) The Most Helpful Tools You’ve Never Used, (3) Medical Family Tree Workbook and (4) Beyond Shaky Leaf Hints. Marsha is particularly proud of her current role as a Director of Valor Research for Purple Hearts Reunited, a charitable foundation that receives donations of lost Purple Heart medals, then performs genealogical research to reunite them with the veteran or their family . . . for which she and her team from the Chicago Genealogical Society and Illinois St. Andrew Society won the Illinois State Genealogical Society’s “2017 Community Service Award”. . . and she was nominated for AARP’s Purpose Prize.

A Guide to Overseas Genealogy

Presented by Jacquie Schattner 

Crossing the pond is easier than you think. We’ll review the history of immigrant travel into the U.S. and how to find genealogical records in most European countries. Includes a list of books and over 70 American and European websites for genealogical research. This presentation covers five areas of overseas genealogy – emigration, voyage details, immigration, naturalization and genealogical websites both American and European.

Jacquie has been actively researching her family’s ancestors since 1996.  She volunteered at the Family History Center in Schaumburg for 15 years, teaches genealogy for Districts 211 and 214, beginning genealogy at area libraries and is active in several genealogy societies, including NWSGS. Jacquie received her B.S. degree from the University of Illinois.  She is a retired school secretary, allowing her free time to pursue new information.

Quaker Family History Research

Presented by Maureen Brady

Members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) began immigrating from England, Wales and Germany in the late 1600s.  By 1700, the Society had gained considerable influence in most of the New England and Middle-Atlantic colonies.  During the 18^th century, many Quakers followed other frontier groups, migrating to the southern colonies.  Following the Revolution, many Quakers left the southern states and migrated primarily to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Canada.  This presentation will focus on the types of records kept by the Society of Friends and how to access those records online, through the Family History Centers and various other libraries and archives.

Maureen Brady, a former school librarian and computer educator, has more than thirty years’ experience with family history research.  She has traced her own Scottish roots back to the end of the 17th century and beyond, and has also pursued Chicago area, the trans-Allegheny U.S., Quebec, Irish and Swedish research.  She is the trainer for the Crystal Lake (IL) Family History Center.

Maureen has made numerous presentations to Illinois and Wisconsin genealogical societies, libraries, conferences and workshops, including presenting at the 2002 National Genealogical Society Conference in the States and the 2016 and 2017 Central Florida Family History Conference.  Her topics include Chicago and Cook County research, Scottish research, Internet sources, and using FamilySearch^® and Family History Centers.  She is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild and the Association of Professional Genealogists as well as a life member of the Aberdeen and Northeast Scotland Family History Society, the Chicago Genealogical Society, the Ohio Genealogy Society and the McHenry County (Illinois) Genealogical Society.

DNA A-B 

Simplified DNA by Dr. Dan Hubbard

Dr. Hubbard will explain DNA in a simplified, easy to understand, manner.  He will also answer questions which have previously been submitted by the audience.

Dr. Daniel Hubbard lives in Libertyville and is past President of the Lake County Genealogical Society.  He is a former particle physicist and now a full-time professional genealogist and writer as well as owner of Personal Past.  His research concentrates on American, Canadian and Swedish records. He a member of the Nordic Family Genealogy Advisory Board at the Swedish-American Museum in Chicago. Information about his presentations is at Products and Services on his website / blog, Personal Past Meditations. Librarians who have attended Dan’s presentations say he would be a very entertaining speaker, as well as thoroughly knowledgeable. He does an “Intro to Genealogy presentation.” Dan@thepersonalpast.com.

Dropsy, Quinsy or Consumption:  Exactly What Did My Ancestors Have?

Presented by Kimberly Nagy, MD., PLCGS

Have you ever wondered what some of the medical terms found on old documents really mean? What is the modern term for those diseases? Was it treatable? Was it Contagious? Was it epidemic? We will explore several commonly used terms for medical ailments. Information will be given on some of the early medical treatments for such ailments. Tracing ancestors through epidemics will also be discussed.

Kimberly Nagy, has been researching her ancestry for over forty years.  Much of her experience predates the internet and she loves the smell of old books in libraries, courthouses and archives. Now, retired from her career as a Trauma Surgeon, she can devote all of her time to her passion – Genealogy!  She has extensive experience with Lineage Society applications and loves to lecture – both of these are reflected in her work as a Professional Genealogist.