General Information...
Our general meetings are usually held on the first Saturday of each month, except the months of June, July, August and December.
Meetings are now held at:
Arlington Heights Senior Center
1801 W. Central Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Doors open at 9:30am with a round-table discussion. We encourage people to bring their research problems, achievements or interesting tips to share with each other. The main portion of the meeting begins promptly at 10:00am. Donations are always welcome!
meetings for the current year...
September 8, 2012 - Write Your Family History - NOW! - Mike Karsen is a professional speaker and member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speakers Guild. He has presented programs across the country carrying his message of “Creating, Sharing and Preserving Your Legacy” by writing your family history. Among his regular clients are the Newberry Library and the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. His expertise comes from writing five of his own family histories and helping many others to write theirs.
October 6, 2012 - Skeletons In Our Closets - Robin Seidenberg earned bachelor's and master's degrees in French from the University of Chicago and fulfilled most of her Ph.D. requirements at the University of Illinois. As a former college French teacher, she has used her linquistic skills to translate family records from Polish and old Cyrillic. Robin serves as executive vice-president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois and president of the Lake County Area Computer Enthusiasts, and is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild and the Association of Professional Genealogists.
November 3, 2012 - Genealogy 101: From Seed to Tree - Jacquie Krieps Schattner has pursued her family's genealogy since 1979, travelling to Europe several times to find information. She volunteered at the Schaumburg Family History Center for 15 years, helping others find their roots. Currently she volunteers at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, specializing in French speaking countries and helping novices, including teaching a monthly Beginning Genealogy class. She also teaches an 8 week beginner’s course for District 214 Adult Education at Mt. Prospect High School. Jacquie and her husband Fred are 30 year residents of Palatine. They have three adult children and one grandson. Jacquie earned a BS degree in Business from the University of Illinois and works as a school secretary. She enjoys antiquing, sports, and helping others discover their family's past.
Happy Holidays!!!!
January 5, 2013 - Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Hanover Military Records - Teresa S. McMillin, CG (sm) specializes in German-American and Midwest research. She has been interested in genealogy since she was a child and has many satisfied clients with German and Midwest ancestry. Teresa presents quality genealogical lectures for local societies and national conferences.
February 2, 2013 - CSI: Cemetery Search and Investigation - Tina Beaird is the Genealogy/Local History Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. She holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science with a specialization in Archives/Preservation from Dominican University in River Forest, IL. She was Archivist and Governing Board member of the Illinois State Genealogical Society from 2004-2010. She is a member of the Society of American Archivists and the American Library Association. Tina has lectured on topics including genealogical research, photo restoration and archival preservation at national, state and local conferences. Tina has been researching her own family tree for over twenty years and has offered profession assistance to researchers for over 10 years.
March 2, 2013 - Polish Genealogy - Where to Start - Steve Szabados is a retired project manager with a Bachelor of Science degree and a MBA who started researching his ancestors in 2004. He has given numerous presentations to groups in Illinois and Wisconsin and wants to share his passion for Family History . He is a member of the Polish Genealogical Society of America, Illinois State Genealogical Society and also a genealogy volunteer at the Arlington Heights Library. His roots are Polish and Hungarian plus he has also had success researching Slovenian and Bohemian records.
April 6, 2013 - How to Prepare for Your Research Trip - Dan Wertz is a retired CPA and lives in Buffalo Grove with his wife Sheila. They have two daughters. Dan has been actively involved in the pursuit of genealogy and his family tree since 1987. His paternal line has been traced as far back as 1530 in Bretten, Baden, Germany. His immigrant ancestor came to America in 1732 and built his family home in Quincy, Franklin County, PA in 1747. Dan and his wife toured that home in 2003. Sheila also has an active interest in genealogy, spending numerous annual genealogy vacations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana with Dan. He holds memberships in the Northwest Suburban Council of Genealogists (NWSCG), the Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois (CAGG-NI), Illinois State Genealogical Society, Ohio Genealogical Society, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, and the German Interest Group – Wisconsin.
May 4, 2013 - Medical DNA - Marsha Peterson-Maass got her start in genealogy in her junior year of high school when a history class required a paper on family history. It was then that her paternal grandmother dubbed her the "Family Genealogist." As a senior in high school, Marsha entered a family history project in the annual State of Illinois High School History competition and tied with one other person for state champion. She also received a DAR Scholarship that same year.
Marsha's formal training in genealogy was at the Newberry Library-Chicago, in the beginner's class that she now teaches called "Fundamentals of Genealogy: Basics for Everyone," with accompanying text book that she wrote. Her own U.S. genealogical journey includes discovering direct ancestors who were part of the Mayflower passage in 1620, the 17th century Old Dominion plantation indenture system, the Revolutionary War, the Pennsylvania Dutch settlements, the War of 1812, the early Midwest pioneer migration, the California Gold Rush, the Civil War, and the late 19th century wave of Swedish immigration to the U.S., and in 2012 a once-MIA World War II cousin's remains repatriated to Illinois.