Saturday, December 25, 2010

Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society announces 2011 Programs


The Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society (LLCGS) has announced its program schedule for 2011.

January 11 - Collecting Oral Histories on Our 35th Anniversary
New Year's resolutions may very likely include finding more information about your ancestors. An excellent way to do that is to plan opportunities to collect oral histories. Mary Kay Quinlan from the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications and a Nebraska Humanities Council speaker, will discuss effective methods of gathering oral histories and share some she has done. Bring your notebook to jot down ideas and to list people from your tree you may wish to contact in 2011. We'll also explore collecting oral histories about our society to celebrate our 35th year and enjoy cocoa and donuts in commemoration of the society's first organizational meeting.

February 8 - Tracing Our Elusive Ancestors
"Cluster Research" Are you having trouble with that one elusive ancestor? Cluster research techniques might help you! Marcia Stewart will help us learn how to use family artifacts, such as letters and postcards, and re-use some standard resources to piece together the "cluster" with which your ancestor existed. A cluster includes friends, neighbors, associates, and extended family. Researching the cluster will provide good insights into your ancestor's life and perhaps unearth a few good leads.

March 8 - Preserving Photos
If you're able to locate photos belonging to other family members and would like to safely copy them or have discovered some of your own genealogical records in need of TLC, join us for a presentation on copying, restoring and preserving photos and documents. Karen Keehr, Curator of the Visual and Audio Collections at the Nebraska State Historical Society will present practical advice for preserving, labeling and storing those treasured items.

April 12 - Courthouses, a Source of Old Records
LLCGS survey results indicated an interest in locating naturalization records, land records, vital records, school records etc. Many of them can be found in courthouses. Learn about the history of courthouses in Nebraska from UNO Professor and Nebraska Humanities Council speaker, Dr. Oliver Pollak. In addition we'll have helpful information to take home for doing research at courthouses. We'll also plan a visit to local sites with records for a "hands on" experience in finding records.

May 10 - Tour the LLCGS Library, a treasure worth exploring
LLCGS members have added useful resources that are being combined with gifts from the Nebraska State Historical Society and placed among Union College references available at the Ella Johnson Crandall Memorial Library. Bring along a notebook to jot down references you'll want to come back and check after our tour. We'll divide up into groups to facilitate group sizes where everyone can see and hear. We'll learn about books, periodicals, atlases, indexes and a variety of resources.

June 14 - Finding and Documenting Resources
Learn tips from researchers on what to take with you and how to search efficiently through records, microfilm and old newspapers. Then discover ways to document and save findings whether on paper or electronically. We'll also make plans for a research opportunity at the Nebraska State Historical Society on the following Saturday morning, June 18.

July 12 - Civil War Research
Ed Zimmer, PhD, returns to present a view of the Civil War through the lens of Wyuka Cemetery. We'll also have materials and resources about the Civil War that will assist in researching ancestors involved in the Civil War.

August 9 - An LLCGS "Family Reunion" 35 Years
Let's celebrate our heritage. We'll review the genealogy of LLCGS and its membership since 1976. Then we'll do what our "LLCGS ancestors" did in 1976 and take time to find out what genealogical interests and goals everyone has and learn more about our current LLCGS family.

September 13 - Internet Research
How can we use the internet to help do research? What are your favorite websites, message boards, blogs, query lists, free and commercial sites? We'll highlight sites used and recommended by our members. Watch the newsletter and emails for requests to share your favorite sites before the September meeting so we can use them in the presentation.

October 2 - Family History Month Fair
(Note change of date and location.) Organizing and preserving our work was a topic receiving many votes on our survey. We'll collect favorite techniques and display them at a fair for genealogists to exchange ideas during Family History Month. We'll also obtain some legal advice regarding ideas for preserving our work when we've become an "ancestor". To facilitate a display of various techniques, we needed another location so we're meeting nearby at College View Seventh - Day Adventist Church at 48th and Prescott where there is ample, convenient meeting space and parking. And, to make it easier for our own members and visitors from other societies in the area to attend, we're meeting before dark on a Sunday afternoon.
 
November 8 - They Went West
Early U.S. Migration Routes by Water, Trails, and Rails. Did you ever find the ultimate book containing your family’s history – only to discover that your branch “went west” and there was no other information provided? Such is the case for many of our families that left eastern states to travel across this vast country to finally settle in the plains states. Phyllis Ericson will lead an exploration of the reasons for migration, the main routes used, and strategies for tracing the migrations of our ancestors.

December 13 - Will DNA Records Help Us Find Answers?
What answers can be discovered by DNA studies? Where do genes fit in genealogy?

Meetings are held at 7:15 p.m. at the Lower Level Theater, Dick Administration Building, Union College Campus, 3800 S. 48th St., Lincoln, Nebraska unless otherwise noted.


For other genealogy meetings, conferences in eastern Nebraska, visit the calendar.

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