Marriage Indexing: Changes To Project

Four counties are being completed and then we will start on several more counties. In the meantime, as FamilySearch puts out the last of the records for the first four counties and prepares for several new counties, you may encounter several delays. Right now there are no records available for indexing but that is temporary. When records are available, they are not complete records -- just fragments which are difficult to figure out. It is a bit confusing but we appreciate your patience as we work through this transition.

When the next counties do start appearing, be aware that this project is being opened up to all the FamilySearch indexers in an effort to move the project forward much more quickly. I will still be available for questions and all of you that are already signed up as indexers and arbitrators will be moved into the bigger pool of FamilySearch volunteers. We welcome the additional help this project will be getting but are so very grateful for those of you who have gotten it to this point. We couldn't have done it without you and hope you will continue with this project as your time permits.

Preview of December Issue of IGS Quarterly

The December 2008 issue of the Indiana Genealogical Society's quarterly publication, Indiana Genealogist, is now on its way to members' mailboxes. It contains:

--A case study of how a man found his adopted family
--Members of the Oldenburg Convent of Sisters of St. Francis up to 1901 and when they died
--Members of Indiana University's Board of Trustees from 1820 through 1890
--Profiles of the proven ancestors of 2008 Society of Civil War Families of Indiana members
--A listing of surgeons in the 6th, 7th and 8th Indiana Cavalry during the Civil War
--Items from the Marion County Mail in 1913
--A listing of Indiana soldiers who qualified as Expert Riflemen in 1907
--An IN-GENious! column on the Commission on Public Records that exists for each county in Indiana.

IGS Appoints Fayette County Genealogist

At its November board meeting, the Indiana Genealogical Society appointed Pat Summan of Connersville as the Indiana County Genealogist (ICG) for Fayette County. Pat has lived in Fayette County for 45 years and was the Southeast District Director for IGS from 1997 to 2004. She volunteers with the City Cemetery restoration project and is involved with the Fayette County Cemetery Board, as well as Historic Connersville, Inc., the Whitewater Valley Genealogical Association and the Tri-County Genealogical Society.

About ICG
Indiana County Genealogist is a program of the Indiana Genealogical Society. Its goal is to appoint qualified individuals to represent each of the 92 counties in Indiana. The ICG is a liaison between the Indiana Genealogical Society and local organizations and individuals, acting as a conduit for genealogy-related news. For more details (including an application form), please visit http://www.indgensoc.org/county_genealogists.html

IGS Appoints Jefferson County Genealogist

At its November board meeting, the Indiana Genealogical Society appointed Janice Barnes of Madison as the Indiana County Genealogist (ICG) for Jefferson County. Janice has been the genealogist and local historian for the Madison-Jefferson County Public Library for 14 years, and is also the Jefferson County Historian. A charter member of the Jefferson County Genealogical Society, she is currently their newsletter editor. She is also a member of the Madison Bicentennial Committee and is working on a book of historical short stories to commemorate the bicentennial.

About ICG
Indiana County Genealogist is a program of the Indiana Genealogical Society. Its goal is to appoint qualified individuals to represent each of the 92 counties in Indiana. The ICG is a liaison between the Indiana Genealogical Society and local organizations and individuals, acting as a conduit for genealogy-related news. For more details (including an application form), please visit http://www.indgensoc.org/county_genealogists.html

Marriage Indexing: Roll of Honor

We are indexing Indiana marriage records in preparation for putting the digital images online for researchers to access. Congratulations to all who are helping with this project and a special thank you to the following Roll of Honor indexers and arbitrators for their contributions:

Over 20,000 Records Indexed
Harold Martin of Melbourne, Florida
Sheryl Porter of Monmouth, Illinois
Robert E. Van Lue of Rochester, Indiana
Jane Chamberlain of Bloomfield, IndianaBea
Barton of Washington, Utah
Clara J. Whan of Avilla, Indiana

Over 10,000 Records Indexed
Don Sylvester of Sanford, North Carolina
Teresa Taramasso of Graham, Texas
Michelle Golden of Roy, Washington
Linda Harney of Huntington, Indiana
Darlene Shuart of Monroe, Washington
Justina Cook of Nampa, Idaho
Mary Sallee of Mesa, Arizona
Carolyn Lowe of Knoxville, Tennessee
Barbara Scott of Sunnyvale, California
William Stevens of West Point, Utah
Judy Vanaugh of Poland, Ohio

Over 5,000 Records Indexed
Patricia Hodges of Stacy, Minnesota
Cindy Fuller of West Lafayette, Indiana
Robert McKillip of Rock Mount, Virginia
Evelyn D. City of Clinton, Indiana
Walter Caplinger of Kansas City, Missouri
Mary Stewart of Muncie, Indiana
Sandra Wincek of New Berlin, Wisconsin
Ronald R. Hall of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Karen Creamer of Connersville, Indiana
Martha Roll of Rockford, Illinois
Bob Nau of Golden, Colorado
Deborah Rex of Brea, California
Nancy Lee White of Patriot, Indiana
Yvonne L. Strong of East Wenatchee, Washington
Kathleen Banner of Heyburn, Idaho

Over 50,000 Records Arbitrated
Clara J. Whan of Avilla, Indiana
Dan Elliott of Mount Vernon, Indiana

Over 20,000 Records Arbitrated
Nancy Brower of Oroville, California

Over 10,000 Records Arbitrated
Bernie Cinkoske of Indianapolis, Indiana
Ronald Chard of Ocala, Florida
Justina Cook of Nampa, Idaho
Larry Munden of Houston, Texas
Lori White of Windsor, Colorado

Over 5,000 Records Arbitrated
Michelle Golden of Roy, Washington
Ann C. Richardson of Woods Cross, Utah
Robert McKillip of Rock Mount, Virginia
Jennifer Cruse of Terre Haute, Indiana

Howard County Genealogical Society To Meet in Kokomo

The Howard County (Indiana) Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, January 3, 2009 at 10 am in the Community Room of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library (220 N. Union St., Kokomo IN 46901-4614). The meeting is open to the public.

South Bend Society To Host Genealogical Fair

The South Bend Area Genealogical Society will host its annual "Michiana Genealogical Fair" on Saturday, March 14, 2009 at the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library (209 Lincoln Way East, Mishawaka IN 46544) beginning at 9 am. Jeff Bockman will be the featured speaker, with topics "Using Maps for Genealogical Research" and "No Birth Certificate, No Problem". More than twenty genealogy vendors and exhibitors will also be present. For more details visit their website, or e-mail WHMinish@aol.com.

La Porte County Genealogical Society To Host Annual Dinner

The La Porte County, Indiana Genealogical Society will meet Tuesday, December 9 at 6 pm at the Swanson Activity Center for Older Adults (910 State St., La Porte IN) for the Annual Society Christmas Dinner and Awarding of First Family Certificates. Certificates will be awarded for those who have proved their qualifications for First Family, Pioneer, Settlers or Civil War Ancestor categories. The public is welcome to attend.

Allen County Society To Discuss Manuscript Catalog

The Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana will meet on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 7 pm in Meeting Room C of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne. Steven Myers, Assistant Manager of the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center, will present a program on "The National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections" and how it is used as a resource in genealogical research. The meeting is open to the public and gathering time begins at 6:30 pm.

Jefferson County Society Launches Lineage Program

The Jefferson County Genealogical Society in Madison, Indiana is launching a lineage program specifically aimed at discovering and honoring the founding families of Jefferson County.

The lineage program recognizes three categories of early settlers:

--Frontier Families are those who blazed the trail into the wilderness, settling in the county on or before 7 August 1820.
--Founding Families are those who drove the county's major growth period and brought it prosperity and national prominence, settling in the county before 1 June 1860.
--First Century Families are those who helped move the county into the modern era, settling in the county before 11 February 1911.

Applicants to the program must prove their direct descent from an early settler as well as that settler's residence in the county before one of the category dates. Applicants do not have to be current residents of the county. Those who apply before 15 April 2009, and are approved by the evaluation committee, will be eligible to participate in the Madison Bicentennial Founder's Day Parade. All approved applicants will receive a certificate and lapel pin to commemorate their achievement.

The Jefferson County Genealogical Society encourages all those with an interest in family history to make the effort required to document their personal connection to the pioneers of the county. Compiled applications will be archived by the society for the benefit of other researchers, and the preservation of this link to the past. A book honoring the founding families is also planned.

For more information about the First Families program, visit the society's website (http://www.jeffersoncountygenealogicalsociety.org).

Rush County Genealogical Society To Meet

The Rush County Genealogical Society will hold an organizational meeting on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 1 pm in the meeting room of the Rushville Public Library (130 W. 3rd St., Rushville IN 46173). Ron Darrah will be the speaker. The public is invited to attend. For more information, contact Pam Steed (geneabear@gmail.com).

Marion County Holds Fall Program

The Genealogical Society of Marion County will hold their Fall Program on Saturday, November 8, 2008 from 9 am to 12:30 pm at the LDS Family History Center, 110 N. White River Parkway, Indianapolis (west of the Indianapolis Zoo). The event is free, and in the first session (9:30 to 10:45 am), Deborah Engelking will present "Leave No Stone Unturned," about ways to use less-well-known genealogy sources. She will also touch on how to find and use church records. The second session (11 am to 12:15 pm) will be a roundtable discussion on topics such as: What are YOUR FAQ's? Filing systems? Software choices? Sources? Naturalizations? Collateral relatives? Whether you are new-and-uncertain or experienced-and-bold, you will have something to add or take away from this session.

Land Records Program at Noblesville

The Hamilton East Public Library in Noblesville will hold a free class on Saturday, December 13 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm on the value of using land records in genealogy research, where to find them and how to use atlases, maps and gazetteers to aid your search. To register, visit the library's website, or call their Outreach Department--phone (317) 776-6939.

Indiana Historical Society Offers Workshop on Employment Records

The Indiana Historical Society will host a workshop by Ron Darrah on Saturday, November 15, 2008 from 10 am to noon entitled "Show Me the Money! Business and Employment Records in Genealogy," about how to use your ancestor's work records in your genealogy research. The workshop is $8 for IHS members; $10 for non-members. Registration is required--phone (317) 234-1830 or e-mail welcome@indianahistory.org.

Allen County Public Library To Close in November

The entire Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne (including the Genealogy Center) will be closed on Friday, November 21, 2008 for a staff in-service day. The library will be open that Thursday evening (November 20, 2008) until 9 pm and will not re-open until Saturday, November 22, 2008 at 9 am.

IGS Adds More Databases For Members

The Indiana Genealogical Society has added more databases to the Members-Only section of its website:

--Residents of Bartholomew County, Indiana (1821)
--Deceased Non-Graduates of Earlham College, Richmond (1851-1922)
--Roster of 51st Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War (1861-1865)
--Roster of Indiana's Volunteer Regiments in the Spanish-American War (1898)