Connect to your past at the National Genealogy Day and Resource Fair to be held on Saturday, March 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St. Overland Park.  It will be a day filled with workshops, exhibits, resource information packets, local genealogy groups and one-on-one assistance.  Keynote genealogy speakers include Beth Foulk whose topic is If only I’d Known, Mistakes to avoid when you begin building your family tree, and Angela Fields on the topic of Which DNA Test should I take?

 

There will be workshops on Ancestry.com, Family Search, Family Tree Maker, and Legacy Family Tree. Midwest Genealogy Center representatives will share information on one of the largest genealogy libraries in the county and how their records can help with ancestor searches.

 

Members of various military and ethnic genealogy groups, lineage societies (such as Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution) will be available to share resources and help with family research questions.

 

Last year more than 500 people attended the first National Genealogy Day. The event is free and open to the public with no registration needed and is sponsored by the Johnson County Genealogical Society and the Johnson County Library. For more information call (913) 826-4600 or visit www.jocolibrary.org. 

 

To view a schedule of events, click here. 

 

 

This series of free classes is to help you get started researching your ancestors. The first hour of each class will be lecture and the second half will be you using what you learned on the Learning Lab computers doing your research.

 

Topics:

 

Class size is limited due to the 12 computers in the lab. However, you can bring your own laptops. Send an email to education@jcgsks.org to register with your name, phone number, email address and whether you will be bringing your own laptop or will use one of the lab’s computers.

 

Thursdays, Mar 19, March 26, April 2, April 9 • 9:30 – 11:30 am
Central Resource Library Learning Lab
 

 

JCGS volunteers are available Monday - Saturday from 9-5 at the Genealogy Desk at the Johnson County Central Resource Library for general questions.  For those looking for a little extra help with either Basic Genealogy or DNA & Genetic Genealogy we also offer free one-on-one sessions that can be booked in advance.

 

Basic Genealogy sessions are available most Tuesday mornings. This is not for brick wall or advanced research help.

 

 

 

DNA & Genetic Genealogy sessions are available most Friday mornings.

 

 

 

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Congratulations to Joyce A. Mitchell, JCGS member, for her first-place award from the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors. The award-winning article, "Gold Star Mothers Visit Overseas Cemeteries," appeared in the September 2017 quarterly on page 7.

 

Joyce has been a regular contributor to The Genealogist since 2014. Lately she has researched and written a WWI series, focusing on men from Johnson County who served in that conflict. At other times, she contributes an article just because the topic is of interest to her. In addition to her writing, she works behind the scenes as a proof-reader for the quarterly and spends a lot of time finding the little things we miss, thus making us look good. We were thrilled when we heard she had won an award and are thankful for all her contributions to JCGS.

 

In honor of her award, the full September 2017 Quarterly is available to everyone by clicking here. Other issues of our Quarterly can be accessed on our website by current members of JCGS.  To become a member, please click here.