Reno County Genealogical Society

Newspaper Clippings

2011-08-05T17:23:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite resources for Old Reno County is www.newspaperarchive.com. You can read from almost two million pages of Hutchinson newspapers, using their searchable index.

Newspaperarchive.com is $5.99 a month if you’re billed annually, or it’s $11.99 a month if you want to pay by the month. I’ve had it for several years. It’s taught me so much about my family’s lives here in Reno County. Everything from when and where they took trips or attended social events, to where and whom they traded real estate with. Even who was arrested or who got a traffic ticket. You’ll find out which school your ancestors attended during which years, maybe even what sort of prizes, honors, or activities they had. And of course the vital information about their past: births, marriages, divorces, and deaths.

What I wonder about is the best way to save the articles.

With paper, you just cut it out, then paste it into a scrapbook. Done.

If you’re sharing your family tree online, it’s a little different. Not harder, just different. The best reason for having family genealogy facts online is so that multiple family members can access it or add to it on their computers.

This is how I do it:

Find the article you want. Newspaperarchive.com shows you the whole newspaper page as a PDF file, using whatever version you have of Adobe Acrobat Reader in your computer.

Of course, your computer screen is smaller than a newspaper page. Scroll around, click and drag, or use the search/find box to move around the newspaper page to find your desired article.

Whole Page Not Fitting.

Whole article, still not fitting.

This fits – just the blurb itself.

To end up with the finished product (the reader-friendly little blurb about my ancestors, above), I used the “select” or the “marquee zoom” tool in the PDF newspaper page. Once you’ve selected (drawn a square around) the part of the page you want to save, it is automatically saved to your clipboard. Meaning that you can now open up Paint (a program on your computer – sometimes found under “Accessories” if not immediately found under “Programs”). Once Paint is open, click “paste” or do the control/v thing. The blurb you selected from the PDF whole newspaper page should show up.

At this point, you can size it, or add text to the image, or even create markings on it so that it looks like certain things have been highlighted in yellow ink.

I often use the text function in Paint to add the name of the newspaper, plus the date of the article. This is the same as writing on the back of a photo or annotating an article to include the name and date.

When you have it as you want it, click “save as” so you can name the blurb something. If you didn’t add text to the image’s margin, this would be a good time to save the blurb as something like this: “Bob and Betty Smith Hutch News Jan 1 1968.”

Then, once you’re in www.ancestry.com or in whatever online medium you use to build your tree, just click “upload” and then search your computer for the file of that name.

-- Cordelia Brown

New Local History Museum in Reno County

2011-05-16T12:44:00.001-07:00

It’s very, very small.

It’s in Arlington, Kansas, eighteen miles southwest of Hutchinson. Located in Joe Fehr’s old hardware store, at the southwest corner of Main Street (Arlington Road) and Algona Street. 103 West Main Street. Otherwise known as the Arlington Trading Company, a beautifully-restored antique store.

Look for the unofficial “Arlington History Museum” at the front counter, near the cash register. A special glass case atop the counter, measuring about one by three feet.

“People bring us things,” said Mark Schaffter, owner, with his wife Sally. “If you look carefully, it’s a little history of the area, with people’s names written on ribbons they’ve won, messages they’ve found, or programs from churches or schools. From the tickets, programs and clippings, you can learn a lot about what life was like way back when.”

The Arlington Trading Company usually has weekend hours. They are always open by appointment, by calling (620) 538 2416 or 538 3135.

The Arlington Trading Company, an antique store in downtown Arlington which houses the tiny Arlington History Museum.

This corner photograph is from before it was repainted last year.

FamilySearch Update

2011-04-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

As reported on Eastman's Online Genealogical Newsletter, soon you will be able to order microfilm and microfiche from FamilySearch online.

A new ordering process was tested in several other countries for a while but is now available to everyone in Utah and will soon expand to the rest of the U.S. You can sit at home and order microfilms and microfiche from FamilySearch in Salt Lake City. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection and a user ID, which is free.

Posted by Gale Wall

RootsMagic Free Online Classes

2011-04-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

If you use RootsMagic you can find help online.

Here are the recorded webinars already available for you to view or download:

Getting Started with RootsMagic
Publishing a Family History with RootsMagic
FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic
RootsMagic To-Go: Running RootsMagic on a Flash Drive
Sources, Citations, and Documentation with RootsMagic
Working with Files and Folders in RootsMagic
Cleaning Your Family Tree in RootsMagic
Personal Historian: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories
Creating Custom Reports with RootsMagic
Map and Explore Your Family Tree with Family Atlas
Adding and Editing Information in RootsMagic
Lists and Reports in RootsMagic
Writing Your Personal History (and Living to Tell About it)

Besides the ones listed above there are 4 new ones this month.

Places and Mapping in RootsMagic
Wherever you go, there you are! Places and geography are an integral part of our lives and the lives of our ancestors. Join us for a look at the many tools in RootsMagic which help you accurately record the places in your family history, clean and standardize names, and even view them on a map!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
2pm MST
90 minutes

Ask the RootsMagician!
This is your chance to ask your questions and get the answers straight from the source! Bruce Buzbee, the author of RootsMagic will be answering your questions about the software in this special, open-topic webinar.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
5pm MST
90 minutes

Google Search Tips and Tricks
Frustrated by thousands of irrelevant search results in your recent Google searches for your family history? Do you want to achieve better results in a shorter amount of time? Learn the art of online search with Google expert and genealogy podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke, author of the new book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. In this webinar you will expand your Google search repertoire and learn techniques, tricks and tips to achieve better genealogical search results.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
6pm MST
90 minutes

Creating and Printing Wallcharts with RootsMagic
Ever wish your family tree wasn’t confined to a computer screen or a small sheet of paper? Wallcharts let you see the “big picture” of your family history! Join us for a look at RootsMagic’s wallcharts and how to customize them. Also joining us will be Janet Hovorka of Generation Maps to show us how to easily and affordably print our charts and some special services which they provide.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
5pm MST
90 minutes

Posted by Gale Wall

Kansas Civil War Enlistment Papers

2011-04-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

1862, 1863 & 1868 are on Ancestry.com

[this is a paid subscription site]

ACCESS HERE

With a standing army of about 16,000 troops at the beginning of the Civil War, the Union was in desperate need of soldiers, and successive calls went out from the federal government for states to provide men for the cause. This collection features enlistment papers of men who volunteered in Kansas to serve in the United States Army for up to three years during and just after the Civil War. The two-page forms include the recruit’s name, birthplace, age, occupation, enlistment date, and unit. They also provide a short physical description. Kansas had been opened for settlement in the 1850s, and the men listed in this database had come from states all across the country as well as overseas. On early forms, soldiers agreed to accept “such bounty, pay, rations, and clothing, as are, or may be, established by law for volunteers,” swore allegiance to the United States, and promised to carry out the orders of the president of the United States and their officers. An examining surgeon certified that the recruit was fit for service (and the recruiting officer had to affirm that the volunteer was sober at the time he enlisted!). These papers can be searched by name, birth year, and birthplace.

Posted by Gale Wall

Midwest Genealogy Center near Kansas City.

2011-03-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

The Midwest Genealogy Center opened in June 2008. The largest free-standing public genealogy library in the United States boasts 52,000 square feet of resources for family history researchers. Last year, over 118,000 patrons visited this library.

It's an easy drive, even if you're not familiar with Kansas City.  Just take I-70 through Kansas City to Exit 14 (Lee's Summit Road) and turn north. Follow Lee's Summit Road to Kiger Road. Turn left. The library is immediately to the left.

I've been there several times. It's well laid out and very comfortable.  This center really welcomes the out-of-town researcher and day-tripping groups, with oversize parking for buses and RVs; a patron lounge
with lockers, vending machines, and ample tables; computers, copiers and reader-printers for researchers.

The Midwest Genealogy Center is part of the Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) system. MCPL has a long history of providing outstanding genealogy resources, and the Genealogy Center has been a major step in the growth of the system. The MGC was built for about eight million dollars without creating an increase in library taxes.

Amongst its many features, MGC houses a uniquely expansive circulating collection and almost completely open stacks. New technology is also a major attribute of the building. Microfilm reader-printers, a self-digitization station, and significant database access allow researchers to use today's technology to assist their investigations.

The center also sends Interlibrary Loans.  They have over 16,000 genealogy and local history books available on interlibrary loan to researchers nationwide through local libraries. You can search their online catalog to find items available.

Here are some of their features:
Microfilm Sources

•All available U.S. federal population census schedules 1790 - 1930, including Soundex/Miracode indexes

•U.S. Land Sales in Missouri 1818 - 1903

•Draper Manuscripts

•Kentucky Tax Records

•Missouri State Penitentiary Records, 1836 - 1931

•Papers of the St. Louis Fur Trade

•Indexes to Compiled Service Records of MO Union and Confederate Civil War Soldiers

•Compiled Service Records of MO Union and Confederate Civil War Soldiers

•Selected Passenger Lists, Native American Sources, and State and Local Sources

•Partial state vital records for WA, AL, OR

•Records of Antebellum Southern Plantations

•City directory collection

•Independence Examiner

•Kansas City Star and Times and approximately 50 other Missouri newspaper titles.

Microfiche Records

•American Biographical Archives

•Black Biographical Dictionaries

•Civil War Unit Histories

•Partial state vital records for AR, CA, GA, IL, IN, KY, OR, TX

•Massachusetts original town records (incomplete - ongoing purchase)

•UMI Genealogy and Local History Series

•United States Serial Set

•Executive Branch Documents

Reference Book Collection

•80,000 title collection of family genealogies, local and state histories and compiled county records for Missouri, states east of Missouri, and states bordering Missouri

•Genealogy Periodical Collection

•Kansas City Star and Times newspaper obituaries 1979 - 2008

•Independence Examiner newspaper obituary and marriage index 1919 - 1950

•Census Indexes

Genealogy Circulating Collection

•Guide to Using Genealogy from the Heartland

Their website is http://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy

The Midwest Genealogy Center has been called one of nine genealogy libraries to visit before you die, and the most visited tourism site in Independence.

Directions and Hours

Midwest Genealogy Center

3440 S. Lee's Summit Road

Independence, MO 64055-1923

Phone: 816-252-7228

Hours: Mon - Thurs 9-9; Fri 9-6; Sat 9-5; Sun 1-5

From I-70, exit at Lee's Summit Road (exit 14) and turn north. Follow Lee's Summit Road to Kiger Road. Turn left. The library is immediately to the left. The MGC requests that if you are visiting the library with a group, please call ahead so that they may have adequate staff to meet your needs.

Get Together

2011-02-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

General meeting! This Monday evening, seven o'clock, in the Hutch Library auditorium. You could win the door prize. But most importantly, you'll have some face time with like-minded folks. Come share yourself. You always like hanging out at the library!

Paid Subscription Sites

2011-01-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

Our 101st blog post! Thanks for reading. Does having fifteen followers here mean only fifteen people read us? Leave us a note -- even if it just says "Read it" or less.

Do you have paid subscriptions? Good information doesn't come free. Even plain online storage (and our access to it) costs somebody something somewhere.

But what about the monopolizing effect?

Last October 21 I got this message from Footnote.com:

"Several weeks ago Footnote.com (as part of iArchives) agreed to be acquired by Ancestry.com and that transaction has officially closed today. As we join forces with Ancestry.com there is a huge opportunity to leverage each other’s strengths and move even faster toward our goals. You may be curious about how this deal effects members of Footnote.com? The plan is to continue to run Footnote.com the way we have always run Footnote.com — continuing to do what we believe is best for our customers, our business and our brand.

Now that the deal is officially closed we are excited to leverage some of Ancestry.com’s resources and expertise to take Footnote.com to the next level. It has been exciting to see Footnote.com grow over the past 4 years. Footnote.com started with only 5 million historical documents and today we have nearly 70 million searchable documents, over 1 million members, nearly 100,000 Footnote Pages, and over half million annotations added. We couldn’t have done it without our members and the great team at Footnote.com and we are excited for Ancestry.com’s support in the next chapter." -- Footnote.com, now a subsidiary of Ancestry.com

(Now it's me again, your blog editor.) But what if you've already been paying for each separate subscription, Footnote and Ancestry, for several years?

I let Footnote expire, until they offered me a much cheaper deal to renew -- $50 a year.

As of yet, I still haven't seen anything of what Ancestry paid 27 million dollars for from Footnote. Maybe they're records I don't use. It's nice to be able to access census records at both places, though.

Learn RootsMagic Software

2011-01-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

Ever watched a webinar? It's a convenient way to learn "computer stuff" like how to use new software.

Interested in Rootsmagic? This genealogy software is affordable at about only $30, and it has won many awards for being the best family tree software to use. You can download a very basic version of it for free.

http://www.rootsmagic.com/

A new webinar for Rootsmagic-to-go (putting it, and your family tree research, on a thumb drive) is coming up this Monday, 24 Jan 2011, at 3pm. You can register for it at

http://www.rootsmagic.com/webinars

If you just want to watch how easy it is to use Rootsmagic, watch the most basic, introductory one, which is called Getting Started with Rootsmagic. A link for it is also found on the webinar page. Other titles include
Publishing a Family History with RootsMagic, and FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic.

Genealogy Resolutions for 2011

2011-01-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

Do genealogists make New Year's resolutions? You bet they do. If you are a genealogist or aspiring genealogist who is wondering where their search for ancestors will take them in 2011, read on for four suggestions of things that you can do to keep your genealogical research moving along and, more importantly, keep it fun and interesting.

Often, genealogists acquire a lot of papers and other "stuff" in the course of their research. It can be easy to let papers pile up and before you know it, all of your hard work is in a disorganized mess that, let's face it, is a little bit intimidating. Now is the time to implement anti-procrastination measures and get your genealogy "stuff" organized. It is important that you let go of the idea that you have to get all of your stuff organized at once. One good way to do this is to set aside a small bit of time each day, or every couple of days, just to work on organizing your genealogy stuff. Set a timer for fifteen or twenty minutes. If you feel like doing more after that, that's great, but give yourself permission to stop after fifteen minutes. If you keep at it, you will get it organized a little bit at a time until one day; you realize that you have organized it all.

Another thing that will help you with your genealogy is to take a class or learn a new skill. You do not have to commit a lot of time or money to accomplish this. There are many free tutorials and videos available online. All you have to do is set aside some time to read or watch them. Any genealogist, whether novice or expert, can always learn more about family history research. What will you learn this year?

A third thing that you can do to take your genealogy to another level in 2011 is to reach out to others and ask for help with questions that you are having trouble answering on your own. There are many great genealogy forums and groups where you can connect with other genealogists that could help you. Don't forget to follow up and check whether anyone has posted an answer to your question. Also, look at questions that other people have posted, and see if there is something you can contribute to help them.

One more suggestion for genealogists to consider when looking ahead to the New Year is to dig deeper than names and dates. There are so many fun things you can do, from interviewing relatives to writing a family history, and many others. What kinds of things will you do this year to create and preserve your family's history?

(by Sara Berthiaume. Thank you, Sara!)

Nominations for the National Genealogical Society Hall of Fame

2011-01-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

A Reminder: Nominations for the National Genealogical Society Hall of Fame are due by January 31, 2011. Official nomination forms and information on the award are available www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/hall_of_fame or by contacting the National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22204‐4304; phone 1‐800‐473‐0060.

A nominee must have been actively engaged in genealogy in the United States for at least ten years, must have been deceased for at least five years at the time of nomination, and must have made contributions to the field of genealogy judged to be of lasting significance in ways that were unique, pioneering, or exemplary.

NARA Invites Comment on 2010 Census Records

2010-12-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is inviting you to have a say about what it’ll be like to research the 2010 census records in the future.

NARA is asking for public comment on the Appraisal and Records schedule for the census. These schedules list all the records created during Census 2010—not just the census forms you filled out, but also address canvassing maps, data summaries, various publications and more—and proposes standards for their retention or disposition.

For those records proposed for permanent retention, the schedule contains instructions for their transfer to NARA. For records are proposed for temporary retention, the schedule contains instructions for their later disposal.
The proposed schedule provides that the 2010 decennial census forms we all filled out will be preserved in the form of scanned images. (You can read about the archives' preservation of digital images here.) It calls for those and other “permanently valuable” records to be transferred to NARA within 10 years after the census.

For more information and to link to the Appraisal and Records schedule, see this post on the archives’ NARAtions blog.

The documents are lengthy. You can get a summary of many of the documents proposed for preservation on the archives’ Records Express blog.

Comments and questions regarding the proposed retention/disposition of records are being accepted on both of the above-mentioned blog posts through Dec. 30.

Posted by Cordelia Brown

Six Pics of ...? (What town IS this on June 7th, 1941?)

2010-12-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

Have you ever found a missing piece of your family story on eBay?

Or have you tried, unsuccessfully? (Once that 1933 business directory arrived, it didn't list your grandpa's shop in it after all, it was just a selectively edited vanity publication?)

One of my favourite searches on eBay is "Hutchinson Kansas" followed by "Hutchinson KS," "Reno county Kansas," or "Allagaroo." Most of the things I've bought were just general Hutch things which I liked or of which I just wanted a picture.

You can set up a search in eBay which will automatically notify you by email when something matching your search turns up for sale. Had I thought to do that with my great-great-grandfather's name Stephen Asbury Brink or Rev. Stephen Brink, I would have been able to buy a photo of him for five dollars. I missed that, but it still found its way to me via a stranger. Another woman bought it for another reason: she was researching the town and churches of New Boston, Illinois. With the info she received a picture of Rev. Brink. She checked http://www.ancestry.com/ for someone related, which is how she found me. The photo of him was very helpful in two ways. It was a close-up portrait of his face as a younger man, and, I had never known of his tenure there at that New Boston church in Mercer County, Illinois.

Rev Stephen Asbury Brink (1838 - 1908) in 1873. In the 1880's he and his wife and four children moved to Reno county, farming in the Abbyville area while Rev Brink preached for the Fairview Methodist Church in Enterprise township. Thanks to former stranger Cindy Marston for buying this photo on eBay and for locating me so she could share it with me.

Next is an UNsuccessful find from eBay. Maybe by posting them here, they will become meaningful to someone else.

The scant eBay info was "Parade in Hutchinson June 7th, 1941." I don't think it's Hutchinson at all.

I checked the Hutch newspapers on and before that date. No mention of a Main Street parade that week. Do you recognize anything?

"7 June 1941"

"June 7, 1941"

"June 7, 1941."

"June 7, 1941. Harold and Jake Van."

"June 7, 1941"

The only writing from the pictures I could make out was the word "ENTERPRISE" written on both windows of the middle business shown in the fourth photograph. Arlington, in Reno County, had a newspaper called the Arlington Enterprise, but this does not look like Arlington, either. What town is this? Does it look familiar to you?

- Cordelia Brown

Social Media in the Cemetery

2010-11-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

Today on the web I learned about Timeless Footsteps. It's a company that, for as low as $50, can make a special card or plaque for a gravestone called a "footprint," which can be read by a "smart" phone.

"Footprints from Timeless Footsteps are attractive business card-sized placards you affix to a headstone or memorial. The Footprint includes a code that links visitors to the memorial with your family member's life story and photos on a beautifully designed web page. You can link with a smart phone, a net book, or any other internet-enabled device." (From their website.)

Aside from a few doubts I have about Timeless Footsteps, I think it's a great idea and a positive move in a new and important direction. Websites like Ancestry.com and Findagrave.com have done so much to honour our dead. So often while visiting cemeteries I've wished there were some way to tell, just by looking at someone's gravestone, whether their grave has been photographed or documented online where everyone can see it. Or wondered if a someone's gravestone and the information thereon could be the key to open someone's "brick wall!" Is this grave, this person's death, known? We all seem to have folks in our family tree about whom we have to say "I just don't know what happened to him. He's in the 1920 and 1925 census, but I just have to assume he died before 1930. His wife and kids are there in the 1930 census, and it says "widowed" after her name." If we could see that little "Footprint" card affixed to the gravestone, we would know that the person had at least some kind of online presence and information which was sharable.

When I tried the sample "footprint" provided for a Mr. Daniel James Lords on the Timeless Footsteps page, I did notice there were links on his page to other pages about him on other online sites.

The service sounds nice and quick. Once you join Timeless Footsteps and pay for your online memorial, you are supposed to receive your "Footprint" in just a few days. It comes with strong adhesive so you can apply it yourself. If it's defaced, stolen or damaged in any way, the company will just send you a new one.

I'm hesitant to criticize it, since I'm so glad to see some cemetery social media of any kind. But the obvious question seems to be "If someone's there in the cemetery with an internet device anyway, couldn't they just look up the person's name online? Wouldn't the name come up somewhere, whether it's a recent obit in a newspaper, or as a name in someone's tree?"

Maybe. Or maybe not. It would probably not come up as neatly and quickly as this Timeless Footsteps would. Findagrave.com's record might just have the same info you're faced with -- the gravestone. Ancestry.com is expensive and requires log-in. Many newspapers require log-in and some charge money for on-line viewing.

We need to remember, too, that some people are not the sleuths we are. We would find the challenge enjoyable, to find out more about the person beneath the gravestone. We would know about the online sites, or about the newspapers in which to search the decedent's name. Not everyone's as curious or knowledgeable as we are.

Timeless Footsteps seems like an easy, affordable way to use the internet in the cemetery to find out more about people. Sometimes the headstone alone says so little. I remember being stunned by one gravestone, in our own Eastside Cemetery: STUART AWBREY. That's it -- not even any dates. He was once one of the most famous, brilliant people in town. Editor of The Hutchinson News from 1965 to 1979 and "a writer of unusual grace." He was also my mother's (Dorothy Melland's) boss from 1973 to 1979. She loved him and when she'd come from her day of writing stories at The News...she always had something good or something stirring to say about Stu Awbrey -- every day. And there was his small, flat, grey stone crowded in with so many others just like his own -- staring STUART AWBREY right back at me. Yet really saying nothing at all about him or about anything he'd done.

Some cars wear more words about themselves than our gravestones do. "Chevrolet. Suburban. EFI (Electronic Fuel Ignition). Silverado. [Sold by] Carsmart, Inc of Lawrence, KS." Oh, and a bumper sticker which alerts "Official Harp Transport Vehicle" and a window decal which boasts "Made in America," plus various other internal stickers and plaques which describe when the last oil change was, what the VIN is, and where the driver is allowed to park on the KU campus. Our car says more about itself than our grandparent's grave does!

Plus, most gravestones have plenty of blank space on them. I've often wished I could add something with a piece of chalk or even a stout post-it note: "This woman moved here in a covered wagon! She had beautiful auburn hair which tumbled past her knees! When she married, she had a twenty-inch waist! And she loved the poetry of Shelley and Keats!" Timeless Footsteps could serve as an electronic embellishment.

And speaking of English poet John Keats: he died from TB at age 25, assuming he and his poetry would be soon forgotten forever. His epitaph, of his own choosing, greets the graveyard visitor with "Here lies one whose name was writ in water."

Too humble.

Personally, I'll wait for a stand-alone gravestone which anyone can see, no hand-held smartphone or laptop lugged to the cemetery necessary. I envision a push-button gravestone with a flat screen behind plexiglass or plate glass. "To read family tree, press green button." "To view family photographs, press red button." To read favourite recipes, press yellow button," and so on. The stone's south side would feature a solar panel for generating the necessary power. An enclosed speaker could play special music, or even a message.

I'm for anything that would make cemeteries a more interesting place for people to visit.

Cordelia Brown

2011 Programs

2010-11-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

January 17th: The Other Censuses
February 21st: 10 Reasons to Love Local Histories
March 21st: The Grist Mill - Family History Story
April 18th: Internet Genealogy
May 16th: Welcome to the Melting Pot
June 20th: History and Changes in Funerals
July 18th: The Cherokee Strip Land Rush of 1893
August 15th: Using Time Lines
September 19th: Collateral Lines
October 17th: Annual Potluck - Show & Tell
Delos Smith Center 6:00pm
November 21st: Uncle Bill’s Suitcase
December 2011: Board Meeting Only

Prairie Book Fest

2010-10-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

On September 25th the Reno County Genealogical Society participated in the Prairie Book Festival at the Hutchinson Public Library. RCGS had the opportunity to share about our society with the visitors to the festival. Volunteers that day were: Rita Lingg, Karen Burgess, Vivian Gobin, Sheila Sage.

Sheila Sage and Rita Lingg at the table.

To read more on the event please visit: Prairie Book Festival

Free Civil War Map Collection

2010-10-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

From the Genealogy Insider [Family Tree Magazine Blog]

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in 2011, NOAA has gathered materials the Coast Survey prepared during the war years into a free, online collection called Charting a More Perfect Union.

Read all about it HERE

FGS Voice

2010-10-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in receiving the FGS [Federation of Genealogical Societies] Voice? If so, keep reading this from the recent issue:

Finally, I would like to encourage you to help FGS reach an even wider audience. Do you know of another genealogist who would enjoy receiving the FGS Voice and keeping up with news from the FGS member societies? If so, why don’t you ask them to request a subscription? (Remember, it’s free!)

Drew Smith, MLS
Editor, FGS Voice
fgsvoice@fgs.org

SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOICE:
Send name and e-mail address to the FGS
Voice editor at fgsvoice@fgs.org.

When you send your request please tell them you are from the Reno Co Gen. Soc.
The monthly newsletter comes in PDF format.

Posted by Gale Wall

Hazen Cemetery Sign

2010-10-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

In 2009 we purchased two cemetery signs. The second one wasn't installed until Memorial Day of this year. On a recent outing Kathleen and I stopped by to see it.

We have more on order so look for a post in the near future.

Posted by Gale Wall

House Genealogy

2010-10-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Cordelia Brown, a member of the Reno County Genealogical Society, and also a new editor of our blog. Thanks for visiting. If you're thinking of family history in Reno County Kansas, this is the place to post your thoughts! Together we can help each other by sharing thoughts and information.

     Last September 22rd, Reno County had its annual tax sale.   Thirty-three county tax-delinquent properties were sold to the highest bidder, in a no-reserve auction. Purposely, I avoided this sale, since I had bought my son his first house at last year's sale -- a fine four-bedroom house in Arlington -- and we are still thrilled with it and we're still enjoying fixing it up a bit.

    But this year, when I read the Hutch News' recap of the sale, I told my husband that he's lucky I missed the sale because we'd be out more than $18,000. 315 E 7th, where my great-great-grandparents Devine and then my great-grandparents Brink had lived almost a hundred years ago, had sold for only $15,000. And a Mr Gregg had purchased the old grocery store in Partridge for $3,000. Partridge! Other relatives of mine had lived and died in Partridge...they probably shopped at that grocery store! I could have bought them! A clear window to the past!

   I'm mostly kidding, of course. We can't just buy properties because old family members (we never actually met) lived or shopped there once upon a time. We may be curious about what the inside of the place looks like, but that doesn't mean we have to try to own the property. But how do we quench that curiosity? And what are we really looking for -- the stage those characters walked? The scenes our ancestors saw? How much could it really change over a hundred years? How much could our imagination fill in, restore, or take away as we imagine how our great-great-grandparents lived their daily lives?

      I did call a Hutchinson woman once to find out if she knew what had happened to a house. It was a stretch -- her father-in-law (at the time) had sold it over forty years ago.    This house had stood at 1001 N Main until about 1964 when Dr Mogel had decided it would be a better spot for his new optometrist's office building. I knew the house had been moved, but to where? After her initial surprise and worry about how I had found her in 2007, she seemed more than happy to tell me about the current address of the house, which is 1617 Dixie. I'm so glad that she told me. And glad she also forewarned me that I wouldn't recognize the home, since it's been cut up into many apartments. I only knew the home from lovely old family photographs and stories, so of course the home was completely idealized in my mind.

The John Fontron family had built the house around 1900. Louis Arthur Bunker and his wife Ella Spenser Brown (she was my great-aunt, being a younger sister to my great-grandfather Will Brown, 1861 - 1962) bought the house in 1909.  Louis worked with Emerson Carey, who had built the house across the street, which later became the Womens' Civic Center. After Louis died in 1921, Aunt Ella because seriously ill, and subsequently committed suicide by swallowing carbolic acid (lye) in her upstairs bedroom in August 1924. Her body, sadly, was discovered the next morning by her mother, my great-great-grandmother Louisa (Hymer) Brown. Louisa became the next owner of this house, by default, since the Bunker's only child had died in 1914. Louisa kept it until her death, making this house an important Brown Family House from 1909 until 1936.

The house built at 1001 N Main -- on the northwest corner of Tenth and Main from about 1900 until 1964.

Do you remember it?

The same house in 2007. It was moved from 1001 N Main to 1617 Dixie in 1964. The house can be seen from the nearby intersection of 17th and Severance. The grain elevator north of it can be seen in the right of this photograph.

Speaking of that old house curiosity, has anyone ever called or suddenly shown up at your house, asking to see it, because they lived there once? This has happened to us several times, in different houses. We were always happy to oblige -- it was a great way to find out how or when changes were made in your house. Or, have you ever contacted a current owner of a house you used to inhabit, perhaps as a child? Although usually I've been too shy to initiate contact, I've wondered about floor plans, original fixtures or woodwork in many houses in Reno County and other places. While I prefer to wait for a more public event, like a tag sale or an open house to occur at the address, sometimes that's just not possible.

New Blog Editor

2010-10-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Please join us in welcoming RCGS member Cordelia Brown as our new Blog Editor. Our blog was created as a tool to inform you of RCGS happenings, informational, educational and entertaining genealogy related news, along with other helpful resources. With a dedicated Editor you should see posts on a regular basis.

Don't forget you can get new posts sent to your email using the "subscribe via email" box in the right column. Enter your email address, enter the word verification and then go to your email inbox and click on the link to confirm you subscription. Even if 5 posts are made during the day you will receive one email at the end of the day.

FamilySearch Update

2010-09-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

Stop by and try out FamilySearch Beta. The official launch is scheduled for the new year but you can try it out now. I was able to locate a Texas death certificate on a person that will be included in my forthcoming article on the Moore children that were murdered in 1899 by their father.

FamilySearch

Lack of posts

2010-09-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

We hope to return to bringing you informational and entertaining posts soon. We are looking for someone in our society to take over managing this blog. If you are interested send an email to renocogensoc@gmail.com.

Photo of the Week

2010-07-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

Bell Telephone Company
Shared by Reno County Museum

Photo of the Week

2010-07-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

Citizen Bank
Shared by Reno County Museum

Photo of the Week

2010-07-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

Gale Wall and Warden Sam Cline

Photo of the Week

2010-07-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

Rayl's Hill

Photo of the Week

2010-07-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Mary & Elizabeth Cochran
Submitted by Keith Burgess

Photo of the Week

2010-06-25T00:34:00.000-07:00

Fox Theater

Photo of the Week

2010-06-18T00:32:00.000-07:00

Reno County Courthouse

Photo of the Week

2010-06-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

Richards - Scheble Candy Co

Photo of the Week

2010-06-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

Lee White Memorial Service | Eastside Cemetery | 5/27/2010

Photo of the Week

2010-05-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

Lee White Memorial

2010-05-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

As reported in the May issue of The Sunflower I was contacted by Warden Sam Cline, of the Hutchinson Correctional Facility, to research the family of Lee White. He was a reformatory guard that died from injuries sustained trying to capture two escaped inmates in 1928. HCF was called the reformatory at the time of its construction.

Today I attended the memorial service for him at the Eastside Cemetery and was honored to be asked to participate in the laying of the wreath. [I'm in the middle].

I will share photos taken by me and Kathleen in a later post.

Video by Kristen Roderick of The Hutchinson News

Photo of the Week

2010-05-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

Old Jail
Sylvia, KS

Family Search Secrets

2010-05-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a helpful article:
Family Search Secrets

Photo of the Week

2010-05-14T00:20:00.000-07:00

Arretta & Jane McCoy 1857
Shared by Jo Longhofer
Great granddaughter of Arretta McCoy Fernbaugh

Photo of the Week

2010-05-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Jesse's Corner
Reno County Museum

Stop by and see items for sale by local artists.

History of Reno County Kansas

2010-05-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

By Sheridan Ploughe 1917

Great News! Both volumes can now be read online!!!

Volume 1

Volume 2

This is a great online resource!

Mormon website handy,

2010-05-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

but be sure to examine details.

One of the greatest gifts to the genealogical world comes from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which microfilmed thousands of local and state records it loans out to research centers around the world.

Other tools available from the church Web site, www.familysearch.org, are worth using, but researchers must approach with caution and closely scrutinize what they find.

Read the entire article, by Sharon Tate Moody, here.

Kansas County Township Maps

2010-05-04T14:40:00.001-07:00

Here is a great online resource to identify the townships within a Kansas County.

KDOT Historic County Township Maps

Another Genealogy Magazine Ceases Publication

2010-05-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

Discovering Family History magazine has ceased publication effective the March/April 2010 issue, completing two full years of publication.

DFH is the 3rd magazine to call it quits. Everton's Genealogical Helper ceased in 2009 and Ancestry earlier this year.

This leaves the following as of today: Family Tree Magazine, Family Chronicle & Internet Genealogy.

Photo of the Week

2010-04-30T00:59:00.000-07:00

Elmer Ward Cole

Photo of the Week

2010-04-23T01:57:00.000-07:00

1876 Siegrist Claim House @
Reno County Museum

Photo of the Week

2010-04-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

Reformatory Escapee

Photo of the Week

2010-04-09T00:55:00.000-07:00

First Church of the Nazarene

1880 DDD Supplemental Census

2010-04-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Family Tree Magazine's blog, Genealogy Insider, recently posted information on the 1880 DDD schedules. Read the blog post here.

Family Tree Magazine has a document available as PDF that lists where to find the DDD for 14 states, if you do not have access through Ancestry.com.

Be sure to download or print this for your resource / research binder or files.

Ancestry Magazine is Online

2010-04-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I was saddened to learn that Ancestry would cease publishing its magazine. I love my genealogy magazines. During the long winters I pull out the old issues and revisit them.

I read on Eastman's newsletter that past issues of the Ancestry Magazine are available free on Google books. You can find them using this link. I took a quick look and only saw 1994 through Sep/Oct 2009 but perhaps the last few are forthcoming or I didn't see them.

There are also some good downloads on the Ancestry Magazine web site.

Lou's 300
•Internet Sources
•Home Sources
•County Sources
•Federal Sources
•State Sources
•Miscellaneous Sources

Projects
•Headstones - Headstone Rubbing Project [PDF]
•Placemats (Tree)
•Placemats (Photos)
•Calendar (Holidays list)
•Shadowbox
•Timeline
•Scrapbook Trees
•Heritage Cookbooks
•Tinting Digital Photos

Stop by and read a little.

Photo of the Week

2010-04-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Last Soldier Ceremony

Photo of the Week

2010-03-26T01:47:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of the Reno County Museum

Photo of the Week

2010-03-19T01:46:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of the Reno County Museum

3 Ways to Recharge Your Research

2010-03-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Stop by the Genealogy Insider blog for 3 ways to recharge your research.

Immigration Map

2010-03-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to the immigration map Karen highlighted in the meeting tonight.

Thanks, Karen!

Genealogy Toolbox - March Program

2010-03-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

The program tonight, presented by Gale Wall, will be reviewing our genealogy toolbox and sessions will come from the booklet "101 Best Genealogy Research Tips". You may have received one free last year when you renewed a subscription to Family Chronicle or Internet Genealogy.

The HANDOUT for the program contains links to sites we will visit. This is just a sampling of the newsletters, web sites, blogs and podcasts for the subject of genealogy.

See you tonight.

Hutchinson Public Library
Auditorium, 2nd floor
7:00 p.m.

FHL Classes on the Internet

2010-03-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

The Family History Library is now offering free classes online. They currently have 23 available in the following categories:

England Beginning Research
Germany Research
Ireland Research
Italy Research
Principios básicos para la investigación genealógica en Hispanoamérica (México)
Research Principles and Tools
Russia Research
U.S. Research

Go to familysearch.org and click on free online classes under the Family History Library heading.

Photo of the Week

2010-03-12T01:45:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of the Reno County Museum

We've been listed!

2010-03-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

Our blog has been listed at http://www.geneabloggers.com/

If you are not familiar with this site I encourage you to stop by and check it out.

Have you entered the world of genealogy blogging? If so, give us your blog url in the comments section. You know of my cemetery blog, http://digitalcemeterywalk.blogspot.com/.

Perhaps this is the year you start your own genealogy related blog.

Gale Wall

Subscribe to this blog

2010-03-09T15:19:00.001-08:00

Want to know when new posts are published? If you do not follow blogs using many of the options available you can receive an email when this blog is updated. Look for the subscription box in the right column.

Thanks,

Gale Wall

Photo of the Week

2010-03-05T01:35:00.000-08:00

Soldier Monument

RCGS Programs

2010-03-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Bill, for your program in February. We all love to hear success stories!

Please note our 2010 programs:

3/15 Genealogy Toolbox · Research toolbox: forms, magazines, newsletters
4/19 CANCELED - Tracking Your Roots · Map Resources - CANCELED
5/17 Coming To America · Immigration Timeline
6/21 Cemetery Art & Symbolism · Beauty found in the cemetery.
7/19 Filling in the Blanks · Missing Census Resources
8/16 Family News · Newspaper Research
9/20 Military Heritage · Record Resources
10/18 Annual Potluck · Delos Smith Ctr · Bring a covered dish and show & tell item
11/15 What’s in a Name? · Nicknames & short names
12/13 Board meeting only We are always happy to hear your program suggestions.

Photo of the Week

2010-02-26T01:32:00.000-08:00

A. B. Caldwell
Featured in The Sunflower

Photo of the Week

2010-02-19T01:31:00.000-08:00

District 79 School
Photographed by Gale Wall

No April Meeting

2010-02-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Due to a scheduling conflict with the library RCGS will cancel the April meeting. We make every attempt to secure the meeting space in a timely manner and hope we do not encounter this situation again.

Please join us in March for Genealogy Toolbox and in May for Coming to American - Immigration Timelines.

Photo of the Week

2010-02-12T01:30:00.000-08:00

Kansas State Fair
Shared by Nancy Moore.

State Books in the Kansas Room - AL

2010-02-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of good research books in the Kansas Room at the Hutchinson Public Library. We had a team of volunteers create a list to share with you. Rita Lingg, our research coordinator, will submit more as the lists are typed.

Alabama Books in the Kansas Room
Book Name Index?

Alabama-A Chronology & Documentary Handbook, Yes

Index to Alabama Wills-Years 1808-1870, Yes

Alabama Notes Vol 3 & 4, Yes

Marriage, Death, and Legal Notices from Early Alabama Newspapers, 1819-1893, Yes

Revolutionary Soldiers in Alabama, Alpha

Early Settlers of Alabama, Yes

William Weatherford-His Country and His People, Yes

Photo of the Week

2010-02-05T06:42:00.001-08:00

Corn Fountain
Located on the Kansas State Fairgrounds
Sent to the Word's Fair in Chicago

Photo of the Week

2010-01-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

Madstone that belonged to Jacob Grimes
Featured in The Sunflower, Feb. 2008 issue

2010 Programs

2010-01-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

Join us the 3rd Monday each month.

1/18 Genealogy Traps
· Traps to avoid in your research

2/15 Re-burying A Lost Ancestor
· Hear the journey of locating a lost ancestor

3/15 Genealogy Toolbox
· Research toolbox: forms, magazines, newsletters

4/19 Tracking Your Roots
· Map Resources

5/17 Coming To America
· Immigration Timeline

6/21 Cemetery Art & Symbolism
· Beauty found in the cemetery.

7/19 Filling in the Blanks
· Missing Census Resources

8/16 Family News
· Newspaper Research

9/20 Military Heritage
· Record Resources

10/18 Annual Potluck
· Delos Smith Ctr
· Bring a covered dish and show & tell item

11/15 What’s in a Name?
· Nicknames & short names

12/13 Board meeting only

We are always happy to hear your program suggestions.

Photo of the Week

2010-01-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

100 Year-Old Dog

Carved by Lerlowe Howard in 1909

He died in service in 1918

Featured in The Sunflower August 2009

Photo of the Week

2010-01-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Justice Tree
Memorial to homocide victims in Reno County.
Located on the east side of the courthouse lawn.

Photo of the Week

2010-01-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

Avenue A Park
Downtown Hutchinson
Reno County was devoured by grasshoppers in its early days. You can find many article in the archived issues of The Hutchinson News.

Photo of the Week

2010-01-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

Mennonite Memorial
Buhler, KS

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T22:04:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2009 and welcome 2010. We'll have our program updates posted soon.

Don't forget to join us the 3rd Monday each month at the Hutchinson Public Library, 7:00 pm in the auditorium.

Please make sure to mail in your annual dues. You can find out more on our 2 membership levels HERE.

May 2010 be the year you break down your brick walls.

Grant Awarded

2009-10-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Honoring Our Ancestors, for awarding us a grant in July for our Community Connections cemetery sign project.

Now, any of you into genealogy will recognize the name Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak. She awards a monthly grant that is funded by her personally. Megan serves as Chief Family Historian and spokesperson for Ancestry.com. She is also President of RootsTelevision.com. RootsTelevsion is online TV for genealogists. I love the "Down Under" series. Megan is responsible for correcting history by revealing the true story of Annie Moore, the first immigrant through Ellis Island. You can see more about this on RootsTelevision.

Our community connections projects are projects where we connect with or give back to our community. There are 17 of our 54 cemeteries without a name sign. It is our goal to have a sign placed at each of them.

Here is a link to pictures of the first two signs being made. This grant will help us purchase 4 more signs.

Thanks, Megan!

More Antioch Photos

2009-09-08T16:04:00.001-07:00

Cemetery photos shared by Kathleen Dankanyin

Note the children pictured.
They are the next generation already taking care of the cemetery.

Antioch Cemetery - Sign Dedication

2009-08-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

A small crowd was present on Friday, August 28, 2009, when the cemetery sign for the Antioch Cemetery was dedicated. The Hutchinson News carried the story in the 8/29 edition and can be found at this link: http://www.hutchnews.com/Todaystop/cemeteries

Look for a follow-up article in our November quarterly.

RCGS member, Keith Neuway, showing placement of sign when the post extension is complete.

(click on pictures to enlarge)
.
Remember, you can get blog updates through the RSS and Follow Me options on the right sidebar.

Photos by Gale Wall

August Program Meeting

2009-08-12T09:04:00.001-07:00

Join us August 17th for our program on PERSI and other resources.

Hutchinson Public Library
Auditorium
2nd Floor
7:00 P.M.

Gas Explosion Monument

2009-06-06T10:31:00.001-07:00

Looks like the monument is complete. It is for the gas explosion that happened on 1/17/2001. It is located at the corner of 1st and Washington. Here are before and after photos.

New Display

2009-06-04T07:44:00.001-07:00

The items in the Kansas Room display case have been rotated. Stop by the Hutchinson Public Library and check it out. Thanks to Bill Rexroad, Karen Burgess, Dorothy Wall, Margaret Childs, Jeri Wells & Sally Eubanks for sharing your wonderful family treasures!
----------------------------------------------------
Here are some pictures for our remote members.

Laurel Cemetery Video

2009-05-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Take a short trip to Laurel Cemetery.

Watch the video on our YouTube Channel.

http://www.youtube.com/renocogensoc

Join us for Cemeteries Galore

2009-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

A Kansas Humanities Program.

Cemeteries Galore
May 18, 2009 - 7:00 P.M.
Hutchinson Public Library
901 N. Main
Hutchinson, KS 67501
Auditorium - 2nd Floor

Despite the familiar sameness of most Kansas cemeteries, there are many unique differences in the form of “regimented” church cemeteries, prison and Poor Farm cemeteries, and cemeteries created for various ethnic groups, children, and pets. Discover the many surprising and little known ways that Kansans have chosen to care for their dead. Slides.

All RCGS Programs are open to the public.

Online Obituary Index Files Updated

2009-04-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Our online obituary indexes have been updated to include the year of death. Thanks to our Obituary Coordinator, Kathleen Dankanyin, we have approximately 30,000 names posted on our web site.

Penwell Gabel Cemetery Update

2009-04-27T16:13:00.001-07:00

RCGS member, Melody Morgan, has completed our Penwell Gabel index containing 12,260 interments from 1925 to 2006. Thank you, Melody!

The list includes the name, burial date, section, lot & space. Our 1978 survey is still posted which includes birth and death dates, if known.

Also, take a look at the cemetery overview map and the cemetery view on Google Maps. We have plans to add more details on the cemetery.

Mini Memoirs

2009-04-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here is an opportunity to learn how to write about your life!
http://www.hutchpl.org/images/minimemoirs_sheilalisman.gif
Registration is required.

New Video - Peace Creek Cemetery

2009-04-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

A new video has been posted on our YouTube channel.

Stop by and check it out!

At the Library

2009-04-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

RCGS is using the glass case in the Kansas Room of the Hutchinson Public Library to display family items. If you have a small item you would like to share, please let us know.

Be sure to check it out the next time you are in the Kansas Room. Just look for our poster hanging from the ceiling. The display case is under it!

Beginning Genealogy Workshop Rescheduled

2009-04-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

Due to the Spring blizzard we had to reschedule our beginning genealogy workshop.

Who Are Your Ancestors?

Join us to find out!

Beginning Genealogy Workshop
April 18 , 2009
2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Hutchinson Public Library Auditorium
No Cost - Limited Seating
Reserve your seat:
http://www.blogger.com/renocogensoc@gmail.com or 620-200-5205

Sessions include:

How to begin
Where to look
How to record what you find
Basic records
Internet Genealogy

Cemetery Symbols - What do they mean?

2009-03-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to know what that symbol means you found on the headstone of your ancestor? Coming this summer we will release short videos on select symbols. If you have a symbol you would like to see featured contact us at RenoCoGenSoc@gmail.com.

Cemeteries Galore!

2009-03-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

A Kansas Humanities Program.

Cemeteries Galore

May 18, 2009 - 7:00 P.M.
Hutchinson Public Library
901 N. Main
Hutchinson, KS 67501
Auditorium - 2nd Floor

Randy Thies

Despite the familiar sameness of most Kansas cemeteries, there are many unique differences in the form of “regimented” church cemeteries, prison and Poor Farm cemeteries, and cemeteries created for various ethnic groups, children, and pets. Discover the many surprising and little known ways that Kansans have chosen to care for their dead. Slides.

All RCGS Programs are open to the public.

Beginning Genealogy Workshop -

2009-03-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Time is running out...be sure to register soon!

Who Are Your Ancestors?

Join us to find out!

Beginning Genealogy Workshop
March 28, 2009
1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hutchinson Public Library Auditorium
No Cost - Limited Seating

Reserve your seat:RenoCoGenSoc@gmail.com or 620-200-5205

Sessions include:

How to begin
Where to look
How to record what you find
Basic records
Internet Genealogy

Research and Learning Lab - TONIGHT

2009-03-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Join us tonight for our research and learning lab at 7:00 p.m. in the computer lab at the Hutchinson Public Library.

We will learn the basics of using Rootsweb.com to assist in our research. After which members and guests may use Rootsweb.com, Ancestry.com and other online databases for personal research. RCGS will pay for all records printed.

We hope you'll join us!

See the headlines

2009-03-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Want to see the headlines of a newspaper in another city or state?
Follow this link and mouse over the area of interest.

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/default.asp

Kansas Room Volunteers

2009-02-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

RCGS will once again have Kansas Room Volunteers at the Hutchinson Public Library. Beginning in March a volunteer will be available the 4th Thursday each month from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m to assist with genealogy research. This assistance is offered as a part of our community connections.

Beginning Genealogy Workshop

2009-01-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Who Are Your Ancestors?
Join us to find out!
Beginning Genealogy Workshop
March 28, 2009
1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hutchinson Public Library Auditorium
No Cost - Limited Seating - Reserve your seat:
RenoCoGenSoc@gmail.com or 620-200-5205

Sessions include:

How to begin
Where to look
How to record what you find
Basic records
Internet Genealogy

January 2009 Program

2009-01-05T21:58:00.000-08:00

Join us January 19th for our program "101 Best Genealogy Research Tips". We will highlight 6 of the 101 tips.

Hutchinson Public Library
7:00 p.m.

2009 Programs:
1/19 - 101 Best Genealogy Research Tips
2/16- Census: The Basics
3/16 - Research and Learning Lab
4/20 – Family History Center - updates
5/18 - Cemeteries Galore [KHC]
6/15 - Maps, Maps, & More Maps
7/20 - Reno County Research Resources
8/17 - PERSI and Other Resources
9/21 - Research and Learning Lab
10/19 - Annual Potluck [Delos Smith center]
11/16 – WorldCat & Interlibrary Loan
December - No Meeting

November Program

2008-11-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

Our November program is Citing Sources.
11/17/2008
7:00 P.M.
Hutchinson Public Library
Auditorium - 2nd floor

2008 Potluck

2008-10-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you to our members and guests for attending our annual potluck and 30th anniversary celebration on October 20, 2008. It was a fun-filled evening with a lot of food and activities. Our charter members present were: Jo Longhofer, Delores Moore, Pam Stansel & Lydia Streeter. Our guests for the evening were: Susie Rohloff, June Greathouse, Donna Albright, Lawrence & Nancy Sliker.

Volunteer of the Year
Melody Morgan - Plano, TX. Melody has given countless hours to our society working on various projects! Your award has been mailed. All of our volunteers are appreciated. See the list on our web site: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ksrcgs/socinfo/volunteers/volunteers.htm

Raffle Winners:
Tote Bag – Debra Gray of Plano, TX
Flag – Dorothy Wall of Hutchinson, KS
Table Runner – Ella Schwartz of Hutchinson, KS

Door Prizes – Local members
Sharon Poulton, Delores Moore & Kathleen Dankanyin

Door Prizes – Remote members
Jerry McMillan of Saratoga, CA; Barbara Teter of Fairborn, OH & Freda Lea of Phoenix, AZ
Your prizes have been mailed

Favorite Ancestor Story Contest Winners
1st – Jo Longhofer
2nd – Margaret Childs
All entries received a certificate of creativity: Harold Balzer, Kathleen Dankanyin & Marquerite Harrington

Show & Tell – Winners – We had some wonderful family items shared with us.
1st – Rita Lingg
2nd – Jo Longhofer

Pictures from the evening are posted online at: http://picasaweb.google.com/RenoCountyGenSoc

Thank you for supporting the activities of our society.

Annual Potluck & 30th Anniversary Celebration

2008-10-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Bring a dish and join us for an evening of good food and fellowship as we celebrate Family History Month with our annual potluck and 30th Anniversary. Cake, ice cream, drinks and paper goods will be provided.

Events planned are: Door prizes, volunteer recognition, raffle, favorite ancestor story contest, show & tell and much more.

Hope to see you there!

Events

2008-10-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

Upcoming events that may interest our members:

History Hop - No Cost
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Explore the history of 12 downtown buildings
Tour starts at the Delos Smith Center

Talking Tombstones - $15
Fundraiser for Hutchinson Theatre Guild
Hear the story of 7 people that helped shape our community
Eastside Cemetery
4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. - limited tickets - purchase at Hayes Sight & Sound

And, don't forget
Annual Potluck & 30th Anniversary Celebration
October 20th - Delos Smith Center - 6:00 p.m.
Bring a dish and join us.
Door prizes, show & tell with prizes, raffle & volunteer recognition
Raffle tickets are still available!

If you have a friend or neighbor that is interested in exploring their family history, please invite them to join us.

Come see us at the Kansas State Fair!

2008-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

We are presenting genealogy classes at the fair again. Stop by and see us!

Saturday 9/6

1:00 p.m. Beginning Genealogy

2:00 p.m. Land Records

Sunday 9/7

10:00 a.m. Beginning Genealogy

11:00 a.m. Genealogy on the Internet

Wednesday 9/10

1:00 p.m. Beginning Genealogy

2:00 p.m. Genealogy on the Internet

Saturday 9/13

1:00 p.m. Beginning Genealogy

2:00 p.m. Forgotten Settlers of Kansas