The acquiring of Cook County Vital Records has changed quite a bit in the past few years, at both the Cook County web site, and on FamilySearch.org. Dan Niemiec, genealogy columnist, will explain the process of getting your copies of…
Were your ancestors royalty or members of the working class? Were they rich or barely surviving? Whoever they were, we need to preserve their memory. The program will discuss a process and format that makes the transformation of your research…
Michelle has created two print-on-demand family history books. The books are in full color, and chock full of photos, documents, newspaper clips, genealogy charts and other family artifacts. Learn how to put together a beautifully formatted book, how to print…
Plan to join us on September 25, 2021 for our VIRTUAL conference—PATH TO AMERICA: Immigration Records & Roadshow with Rich Venezia. Please see Conference Page for more information.
This discussion, facilitated by local author Barbara Brabec, will kick-off our “Writers Series”, which includes programs on April 9th and May 14th. This discussion will also share knowledge acquired at our FVGS writers’ groups. Barbara Brabec gained recognition as one…
Learn how to find and use newspapers to find information about your ancestors as well as the times they lived in. Some of the items to be found in newspapers includes obituaries, marriage and engagement announcements, birth announcements, legal cases,…
All are welcome to share family history artifacts and/or stories with other genealogy enthusiasts at our 'Show & Tell' event. This is a great time to learn about the stories and discoveries of fellow family historians.
Local histories are often maligned as inaccurate sources. However, used correctly, these local histories can be very helpful by providing clues for further research. This program will be presented by professional genealogist, Kimberly Nagy, MD PLCGS.
The program focuses on the rich symbolism displayed in cemeteries of the Victorian Era. Headstone art during this time period was carefully chosen by family members to properly represent the deceased. Many clues about the lives of the dearly departed…
Come hone your genealogy knowledge the fun way by playing “Geneopardy!”. The categories will include: ‘Grandpa’s Sister’, ‘Cite Your Source’, ‘Write It Down’, ‘Stand Up’, ‘Be Counted’, ‘Taking a Count’, ‘Marriage’, ‘Add It Up’, and ‘FVGS Firsts’.