Our next meeting will be August 24, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at the Johnson County Central Resource Library.  Bob Beebe will be our presenter, and the topic will be U.S. Patent and Trademark files and their genealogical significance.

 

The Ancestry Game:  Were any of your ancestors inventors?  Did they apply for patents?  Bob Beebe, Archivist at the National Archives at Greater Kansas City will discuss records that he regularly handles from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  There are a number of different types of records including three types of patents, and a number of other associated series related to these.  Additional related records can be found in a number of U.S. Courts many of which are held by the National Archives at Kansas City.

 

Bob will be reviewing the various types of files from the USPTO and what information is available in them from both a genealogical and historic point of view.  Learn how to search for patents that might have been issued to a relative; how to gain access to the files; ways to confirm that the patent was issued to your relative; and to determine if there are court records related to the patent and how to access them.

 

Bob Beebe is originally from Western Nebraska. He has lived in Johnson County since 1995.  He studied at the University of Kansas where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in U.S. History and a Master’s in Historical Administration and Museum Studies.  He has worked for the National Archives and Records Administration for 15 years and the last four as an archivist working at the Lenexa Federal Records Center.  His major duties include accessioning, processing and reference work on a variety of archival records held by the National Archives at Kansas City.  

 

Our next meeting will be July 27, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at the Johnson County Central Resource Library.  Rick Praechter will be our presenter, and the topic will be “History of Orphans and Orphanages and Research Methods for Finding Orphans”.

 

Researching orphans is one of the tallest brick walls you will ever attempt to climb in your genealogical journey. The research is more complicated than just looking back at census records for tracing families. This presentation will provide a brief history of the issue and treatment of orphans in the United States. Rick will also share different research methods and tools to discover orphan homes and how children were placed.

 

Rick has been an active member and board member for the JCGS for 12 years. He has a strong interest in the history of the Border War era. He is also a member of the St. Louis Genealogical Society since the late 1970s. He enjoys helping people find their roots as a volunteer at the Library’s Genealogy Desk.

 

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.