WINNEBAGO & BOONE COUNTIES GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
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The Winnebago & Boone Counties Genealogical Society (of Illinois) exists to:
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NOTE NEW MEETING LOCATION: Rockford Public Library - East Branch 6685 East State St, Rockford IL
Our October meeting will be a Zoom speaker, but we will also be meeting in person at the library.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
WBCGS holds monthly meetings that are open to the public. We do not have meetings in December and July.
At each meeting, our speaker makes a presentation about a specific topic related to genealogy or a topic of local interest.
Based on the success we've had in using Zoom for our monthly meetings, we plan to continue offering Zoom meetings. Meeting invitations will be sent to all WBCGS members with an email address.
If you’re not a member and are interested in attending a Zoom meeting, please send us an email at wbcgensociety@gmail.com.
You can also contact us at: WBCGS, PO Box 10166, Loves Park IL 61131-0166.
At each meeting, our speaker makes a presentation about a specific topic related to genealogy or a topic of local interest.
Based on the success we've had in using Zoom for our monthly meetings, we plan to continue offering Zoom meetings. Meeting invitations will be sent to all WBCGS members with an email address.
If you’re not a member and are interested in attending a Zoom meeting, please send us an email at wbcgensociety@gmail.com.
You can also contact us at: WBCGS, PO Box 10166, Loves Park IL 61131-0166.
OCTOBER MEETINGSaturday, October 7, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
"Introduction to the Family History Guide" Speaker: Bob Taylor Meeting Location: RPL East Branch (also Zoom - speaker via Zoom) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcof-CprD8uG9wg852aSsbhmX76xcGsD9RH In 2014, Bob Taylor volunteered as a family history consultant at the new Sandy Granite Family History Center. He noticed that many guests to the center asked the same questions, so he created a website to answer those questions. Using his background in instructional design, he built a learning framework into the website: Projects, Goals, Choices, and Steps. He and Bob Ives, the Technology Coordinator for the Sandy Granite Family History Center, soon formed an LLC company to promote the website. This later became a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization, The Family History Guide Association, which opened the door to tax-deductible contributions. The Family History Guide website remains free to use and free of advertisements. Since then, the website has grown and improved dramatically. Some notable milestones include
Bob Taylor has been actively doing family history for over 25 years. He has combined his passion for genealogy with his background in instructional design to produce an industry-leading learning resource for family history—The Family History Guide website. Bob earned his BA degree from Brigham Young University and MA degree from California State University, Los Angeles, both in Music Education. A career change led him to instructional design and technical writing, where he has worked for large technology corporations such as Intel and Western Digital. At Intel University, he redesigned key training courses for employees and managers worldwide, as well as teaching management courses in Washington, Arizona, Oregon, California, and Utah. He has authored many online and written learning systems, helping others accelerate learning in technology, music, and family history. Bob has been a featured presenter at RootsTech 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020, as well as the WikiTree International Symposium for 2022. Bob has presented at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Riverton FamilySearch Library, and the BYU Family History Conference. He has also presented to genealogical societies in California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. 
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NOVEMBER MEETINGSaturday, November 4, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
"Ellis Island: A Brief History, Including the Immigration Process" Speaker: Jean Lythgoe Meeting Location: RPL East Branch (in-person speaker, but also available via Zoom) Jean has found interesting information about the island and the name changes over the years. Her presentation will include a brief history of the island as a point for immigration entry, the history of immigration into the US., and places where people can search for more information. Jean Lythgoe graduated from Rock Valley College, and then Northern Illinois University, with a BGS. She has worked at the Rockford Public Library since 1965, and in the Local History Room since 2006. Jean considers herself a generalist in genealogy and local history, because one never knows what the next question will be in the Local History Room. She has a lifelong interest in history, especially family history. She enjoys knowing that some ancestors came in colonial times, others during the Irish potato famine and others as recently as 1920. Jean enjoys helping people in the Local History & Genealogy Room, because she gets to learn something new every day! 
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JANUARY MEETINGSaturday, January 6, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
"Germans Coming to America's Midwest" Speaker: Scott Norrick Meeting Location: Zoom Only Over 46 million Americans have some German ancestry. The largest German immigration wave to America was 1848-1900, and the majority of those that came then settled in America’s Midwest. This presentation will examine the reasons why so many Germans were leaving their homeland during this period as well as why so many settled in America’s Midwest. In addition, the presentation will cover: • German immigration trends • Ports of departure and arrival • Midwest German hotspots • Cultural influences brought to the Midwest • Top sites for researching your German ancestors Scott Norrick’s passion is connecting people to their past. While providing a list of names, dates and places for ancestors is a start, Scott enjoys helping others discover the stories of triumphs and tribulations that defined our ancestors’ lives. He does this by assisting clients with breaking down their genealogical brick walls and by helping them document the rich stories of their family history. His areas of expertise include research in the American Midwest along with the immigration to the Midwest from European countries. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and a graduate degree from Northwestern University. With over 30 years of family history research experience, he is familiar with all the latest and time-tested genealogical tools. Through his company Ancestral Past, he welcomes the opportunity to assist others on their genealogy journey. 
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ISGS Associate Member
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The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) was formed in 1968 through the cooperative effort and forward thinking of Illinois genealogical society representatives, who envisioned a statewide genealogical organization. ISGS is a not-for-profit, nonsectarian, educational organization.
Visit their website for more info www.ilgensoc.org |
