WINNEBAGO & BOONE COUNTIES GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
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The Winnebago & Boone Counties Genealogical Society (of Illinois) exists to:
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All in-person meetings are at the Rockford Public Library - East Branch 6685 East State St, Rockford IL
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 [email protected].
You can also contact us at: WBCGS, 1710 Van Stone Dr., Machesney Park IL 61115-2166.
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 [email protected].
You can also contact us at: WBCGS, 1710 Van Stone Dr., Machesney Park IL 61115-2166.
NOVEMBER MEETINGSaturday, November 2, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. CDT
"Newspapers Research" Speaker: Jean Lythgoe Meeting Location: RPL East Branch (in-person speaker, but also available via Zoom) Zoom registration for this meeting Discover how to effectively research using Newsbank and GenealogyBank. With a Rockford Public Library card, you can access these tools and explore from the comfort of your home! 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 4, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. CST
"11 Tips to Help You Transcribe German Church Records" Speaker: Theresa Berns Meeting Location: Zoom only - No meeting in-person) Zoom registration for this meeting Some of the tips you will learn are: - Take advantage of the same formatting of church records. - Be aware that spelling was not standardized until the late 19th century. - Know what the word “des” means. - Know how to figure out the names of towns and villages. Theresa has been interested in languages and cultures from an early age. However, growing up with German and Low German was not enough for her. So, over time, she acquired additional language skills in English, Spanish, and French. After finishing her university degree in translation studies, Theresa mainly translates documents from German into English and vice versa. Most of these are genealogical documents written in Kurrent, Sütterlin, and Fraktur. Being a native German speaker really facilitates deciphering the Old German Script and understanding the essence of the original text, which is crucial when translating. 
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FEBRUARY MEETINGSaturday, February 1, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. CST
"Using Ancestry for Genealogy Research" Speaker: Jenny Warner Meeting Location: RPL East Branch (in-person speaker, but also available via Zoom) Zoom registration for this meeting Hands on. Attendees will learn how to use Ancestry.com to find their ancestors. You will learn how to create a tree, upload pictures, attach pictures. Jenny has been doing genealogy for 43 years. Her mother started she and her sister early, learning about where their family came from and how to research their family history. She is a member of many Lineage Societies and many Genealogical Societies, holding offices in many of those groups. Jenny has given many presentations at public libraries and genealogical societies. She loves sharing her knowledge of family history and helping people learn about their heritage. |
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 |
