People To See, Places To Go

It's spring, and the genealogist's fancy lightly turns to getting out and associating with fellow aficionados of dead people:

In St. Charles, Illinois, February 28, the DuPage County Genealogical Society will feature Everton's Genealogical Helper blogger managing editor Leland Meitzler, and including Jeff Bockman, Don Litzer, Lesley Martin, and Craig L. Pfannkuche.

In Kalamazoo, Michigan, March 25 -- seeking perhaps to compensate for Michigan's lack of an effective state genealogy organization -- the Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society's spring conference will feature Paula Stuart-Warren, CG.

In Hudson, Ohio, April 2-4, the Ohio Genealogical Society (PDF) will feature Ian Frazier, author of Family, and a lot of other speakers who probably wish they didn't have to follow that act.

In Middleton, Wisconsin, April 3-4, the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society's Gene-A-Rama (PDF) will feature Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG; James Hansen, FASG; Rev. David McDonald, CG; Nancy Emmert, CG; George Findlen, CG; and Virginia Nichols.

In Indianapolis, Indiana, April 25, the Indiana Genealogical Society (PDF) will focus on military research with Pamela K. Boyer, CG, CGL.

DuPage County has a longer reach than you think

The other day I looked up the program for the February 23 annual meeting of the DuPage County (Illinois) Genealogical Society, and got a pleasant surprise. (FYI if you're not from Illinois: DuPage is Chicago's biggest suburban county.)

The society is bringing in speakers that should attract genealogists with no ancestral ties to the county at all, such as yours truly. They include Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, of western Pennsylvania; Jana Sloan Broglin, CG, of Ohio; and Michael John Neill (whose blog made me give this a second look; if you don't recognize his name, you really have not been paying attention). I like the idea of bringing in folks from "upstream" states, where our research will often take us, whether we approve or not!

Information here on the one-day event will be in St. Charles. (It's not too late -- see you there?)

DPCGS president Jeffrey Bockman will also give an overview of using maps in genealogical research; he got some publicity last month in the local Naperville Sun.