Meetings & Classes
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NWIGS uses Google Meet for meetings/classes. Members will receive an email invitation or they can log into the member area to find the code. How to join a Google Meet Meeting: YouTube Video Link Quick Guide: How to join a meeting with Google Meet |
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NWIGS Meetings/Classes 2021 - start time at 10:00 am
Virtual through Google Meet unless specified
Saturday, April 17th, 2021 - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Topic: Writing Your Family Story
Patrick Thornton
Join professional writer and editor Patrick Thornton for a lecture about transforming all the research that you’ve compiled over the years into an engaging narrative for your family and future generations. This lecture will break down how to transform dense research into prose, with examples from Patrick’s own family history, going back to the 1600s.
Saturday, May 15th, 2021 - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) - Zoom
Topic: Uncovering North Township: A digitization journey at the Hammond Public Library
Amanda Aguilera
Description: Amanda Aguilera, Special Collections Librarian from the Hammond Public Library's Suzanne G Long Local History Room will be our speaker. Follow along as Local History Librarian Amanda Aguilera discusses the various digitization projects she and community volunteers Martha Latko and Lauren Rhein are working on at the Hammond Public Library. Their projects include the Hammond Technical-Vocational High School World War II job training records put out by the United States Department of Education and cover a span of 4 years during World War II. During this time, students came from all over the country to be trained in war-related technical skills and vocations. While incredibly important to the local historical World War II narrative, this collection also maps the changes that the United States workforce underwent during this crucial period. Amanda will also talk about a smaller, though no less interesting, collection of Hammond police tickets from 1911-1914 that give us a glimpse of the darker side of North Township’s past. Finally, she will go over their largest collection and digitization project to date, the North Township land abstract collection. Spanning several decades at the turn of the 20th century, and has documents from Hammond, Highland, Munster, Whiting and East Chicago. These land abstracts offer us a fascinating glimpse not only into routine transactions that occur during the sale of land, but provide a fascinating window into the real lives of early North Township settlers through legal documents such as warranty deeds, wills, estates, guardianships, and partitions.
Saturday, June 19th, 2021 - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Topic: Finding Your New England Ancestors
David B. Appleton
David B. Appleton (B.S. History) internationally known author and lecturer will discuss genealogical research in the six New England states Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. This can sometimes be seen as easier to do than in many other regions in the United States. "These people killed themselves to make sure there was a paper trail." (Quote by Michael Comeaux, Assistant Archivist, Massachusetts State Archives.) But that strength, the many records available, can also make genealogical research in New England challenging, because it can take a lot of hunting to locate all the specific records that may relate to New England ancestors. Learn about some of the peculiarities of genealogical research in New England and discover many of the most useful places to start looking for genealogical information there.
Saturday July 17th 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Sharing Session
Share a story and details of the life of an ancestor you have researched or share your genealogy projects, discoveries or stories since we last met.
Saturday, August 21st, 2021 - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) - Zoom
Topic: The Overland Trails: Westward Migration in the 19th Century
Amber Oldenburg
This lecture will discuss why people headed west, the trails used, what the pioneer experience was like, and how to discover the records left behind.
Saturday, October 16th, 2021 - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) - Zoom
Topic: Tips and Tricks To Discover Your Croatian Roots
Robert Jerin
Description: Robert has been researching Croatian family histories since 1986 and for the past 18 years he has been conducting Croatian Genealogy Workshops across the US and Croatia. In those 16 years he has helped connect dozens of families around the world. Robert enjoys helping people discover their Croatian family history and realized that many descendants of Croatians from the second, third and fourth generations know very little about Croatian history and culture.
Saturday, November 20th, 2021 - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) - Zoom
Topic: "The 1950 US Census: Are You Ready?"
Thomas MacEntee
Description: Participants will get up to speed on the history of the 1950 US Census, why the 1950 US Census form is radically different than previous forms, and how the data will be accessed. In addition we’ll cover what you can do NOW to prepare for the release of the 1950 US Census as well as volunteer projects related to indexing and finding aids. Finally, we’ll cover how you can always get the latest information related to the release of the 1950 US Census data!
Virtual through Google Meet unless specified
Saturday, April 17th, 2021 - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Topic: Writing Your Family Story
Patrick Thornton
Join professional writer and editor Patrick Thornton for a lecture about transforming all the research that you’ve compiled over the years into an engaging narrative for your family and future generations. This lecture will break down how to transform dense research into prose, with examples from Patrick’s own family history, going back to the 1600s.
Saturday, May 15th, 2021 - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) - Zoom
Topic: Uncovering North Township: A digitization journey at the Hammond Public Library
Amanda Aguilera
Description: Amanda Aguilera, Special Collections Librarian from the Hammond Public Library's Suzanne G Long Local History Room will be our speaker. Follow along as Local History Librarian Amanda Aguilera discusses the various digitization projects she and community volunteers Martha Latko and Lauren Rhein are working on at the Hammond Public Library. Their projects include the Hammond Technical-Vocational High School World War II job training records put out by the United States Department of Education and cover a span of 4 years during World War II. During this time, students came from all over the country to be trained in war-related technical skills and vocations. While incredibly important to the local historical World War II narrative, this collection also maps the changes that the United States workforce underwent during this crucial period. Amanda will also talk about a smaller, though no less interesting, collection of Hammond police tickets from 1911-1914 that give us a glimpse of the darker side of North Township’s past. Finally, she will go over their largest collection and digitization project to date, the North Township land abstract collection. Spanning several decades at the turn of the 20th century, and has documents from Hammond, Highland, Munster, Whiting and East Chicago. These land abstracts offer us a fascinating glimpse not only into routine transactions that occur during the sale of land, but provide a fascinating window into the real lives of early North Township settlers through legal documents such as warranty deeds, wills, estates, guardianships, and partitions.
Saturday, June 19th, 2021 - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Topic: Finding Your New England Ancestors
David B. Appleton
David B. Appleton (B.S. History) internationally known author and lecturer will discuss genealogical research in the six New England states Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. This can sometimes be seen as easier to do than in many other regions in the United States. "These people killed themselves to make sure there was a paper trail." (Quote by Michael Comeaux, Assistant Archivist, Massachusetts State Archives.) But that strength, the many records available, can also make genealogical research in New England challenging, because it can take a lot of hunting to locate all the specific records that may relate to New England ancestors. Learn about some of the peculiarities of genealogical research in New England and discover many of the most useful places to start looking for genealogical information there.
Saturday July 17th 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Sharing Session
Share a story and details of the life of an ancestor you have researched or share your genealogy projects, discoveries or stories since we last met.
Saturday, August 21st, 2021 - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) - Zoom
Topic: The Overland Trails: Westward Migration in the 19th Century
Amber Oldenburg
This lecture will discuss why people headed west, the trails used, what the pioneer experience was like, and how to discover the records left behind.
Saturday, October 16th, 2021 - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) - Zoom
Topic: Tips and Tricks To Discover Your Croatian Roots
Robert Jerin
Description: Robert has been researching Croatian family histories since 1986 and for the past 18 years he has been conducting Croatian Genealogy Workshops across the US and Croatia. In those 16 years he has helped connect dozens of families around the world. Robert enjoys helping people discover their Croatian family history and realized that many descendants of Croatians from the second, third and fourth generations know very little about Croatian history and culture.
Saturday, November 20th, 2021 - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) - Zoom
Topic: "The 1950 US Census: Are You Ready?"
Thomas MacEntee
Description: Participants will get up to speed on the history of the 1950 US Census, why the 1950 US Census form is radically different than previous forms, and how the data will be accessed. In addition we’ll cover what you can do NOW to prepare for the release of the 1950 US Census as well as volunteer projects related to indexing and finding aids. Finally, we’ll cover how you can always get the latest information related to the release of the 1950 US Census data!
Past Meetings 2021
Saturday January 16th, 2021 - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) – Google Meet
Sharing Session
Share your genealogy projects, discoveries or stories since we last met.
Saturday, February 20th, 2021 – 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) – Google Meet
Topic: Latino and Hispanic Genealogy: The Basics
Nicole Martinez-LeGrand Coordinator, Multicultural Collections at the Indiana Historical Society.
Latin America is the largest grouping of countries and dependencies in of the Western Hemisphere. Presently, one of the largest growing demographics in the United States. Learn about Latino and Hispanic culture through genealogy in the United States and in Latin America. This course speaks to the history of colonization in Latin American countries to present day immigration to the United States.
Saturday, March 20th, 2021 - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Topic: "I Have a Civil War Ancestor... Now What?"
Brian Rhinehart from Rhinehart Roots
Civil War soldiers often left a rich genealogical paper trail. Many of these records are tucked away at the National Archives in Washington DC. Learn what records are available for your ancestors only at the National Archives, what records are online already, and how to access all of them. These records may unlock some of the family stories that have been forgotten over time, as well as break down a brick wall or two!
Sharing Session
Share your genealogy projects, discoveries or stories since we last met.
Saturday, February 20th, 2021 – 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour) – Google Meet
Topic: Latino and Hispanic Genealogy: The Basics
Nicole Martinez-LeGrand Coordinator, Multicultural Collections at the Indiana Historical Society.
Latin America is the largest grouping of countries and dependencies in of the Western Hemisphere. Presently, one of the largest growing demographics in the United States. Learn about Latino and Hispanic culture through genealogy in the United States and in Latin America. This course speaks to the history of colonization in Latin American countries to present day immigration to the United States.
Saturday, March 20th, 2021 - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Topic: "I Have a Civil War Ancestor... Now What?"
Brian Rhinehart from Rhinehart Roots
Civil War soldiers often left a rich genealogical paper trail. Many of these records are tucked away at the National Archives in Washington DC. Learn what records are available for your ancestors only at the National Archives, what records are online already, and how to access all of them. These records may unlock some of the family stories that have been forgotten over time, as well as break down a brick wall or two!
Past Meetings 2020
Saturday November 21st -
10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour)
Researching Women in Your Family History
The search for the women in your family history can be riddled with roadblocks like wrong or missing information. Westchester Township History Museum Curator Serena Ard will discuss the reasons for research troubles (like when women could/could not file wills, own property, etc.) as well as tips and tricks for finding and documenting the women in your family.
Saturday October 17th - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour)
Joseph Bailly of Bailly Homestead
Randa J. Duvick, Professor of French at Valparaiso University will speak about Joseph Bailly, his account book (the volume that is owned by our own Porter County Museum in particular), and the fur trade in early Indiana and Michigan.
Saturday September 17th - 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour)
Organizing Your DNA Matches
with NWIGS member Gerard Dupczak
Gerard will show us a way to label and organize our DNA matches.
Saturday August 15th - 10:00 am (appx. 1 hour)
DNA Matching with Angel Goines - Google Meet
Description: Class by Angel Goines. What does that DNA report really mean? How can you best use your data? What is a centimorgan? Why such a large range in centimorgans and still my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. cousin? My goal is to answer these questions in a clear and user friendly manner. Please bring your DNA report issues, questions, problems, dilemmas or roadblocks and I will try work my way through them.
Saturday July 25th 10:00 am ( appx. 1 hour) - Google Meet
Sharing Session: Tell the Story of An Ancestor - Google Meet
Google Meets - Invitation email has been sent to members
Share a story and details of the life of an ancestor you have researched.
June 20th – Mayflower Ancestors and Research - -CANCELED
Merrillville Branch Library
Jenny Warner genealogist and librarian who serves as the President of DuPage County Genealogical Society will be our speaker.
May 16th - Discovering Our FANs and Collaterals - -CANCELED
Valparaiso Public Library
Melissa Tennant from Allen County Public Library
This session will show how exploring the Friends, Acquaintances, Neighbors (FANs) and relatives of your direct ancestor can help demolish the genealogical brick wall.
March 21st - Researching Women in Your Family History -CANCELLED
Rescheduled for November 21, 2020
Valparaiso Public Library
The search for the women in your family history can be riddled with roadblocks like wrong or missing information. Westchester Township History Museum Curator Serena Ard will discuss the reasons for research troubles (like when women could/could not file wills, own property, etc.) as well as tips and tricks for finding and documenting the women in your family.
February 15th – Proving Adoption
Merrillville Branch Library
One of the hardest obstacles a genealogy researcher can face are adoptions within the family. On July 1, 2018 the Indiana Law changed making it possible for some adoptees to obtain their original birth record.
Marlene Polster began her Indiana adoption journey after hearing about her own father's adoption. In her presentation "Proving Adoption," she will explain how a family member can prepare to research information they need on a family adoption. She will also go over the process that it takes for Indiana adoptees to get their records
January 18th – Webinar and Discussion: Are you related to someone famous?
Valparaiso Public Library
Watch a webinar about websites that can help you find famous ancestors in your tree. We will discuss famouskin.com