October 2011 meeting recap

Fall is a busy time for genealogists too! The La Porte County Genealogical Society's October meeting began with mentions of activity in nearby counties: an open house at the St. Joseph County Archives on Saturday and a workshop with Dick Eastman at Elkhart on November 5. In the society's own business:

* Members deplored the random incompleteness of the Herald-Argus coverage of last month's residency certificate ceremony.

* Abstraction of wills and probates is continuing now that the format for the finished book is agreed upon.

* The society will again sponsor its annual bus trip to the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in April 2012.

* A nominating committee will report a slate of proposed officers to the November meeting.

* A publications policy committee will meet to discuss a formal policy on society publications.

* The December annual dinner plans are proceeding.

* Fern Eddy Schultz will give a talk Saturday 1 pm at the county historical museum on genealogy research in La Porte County -- information applicable to research in other places as well. Reservations are requested ahead of time.

* Pat Harris mentioned new information about the 1940 census (to be made public next spring) and on-line information about veterans who stayed in the various US veterans homes in times past.

* Pat Harris and Harold Henderson presented a program on immigration and naturalization. They're part of our national DNA, even though for 250 years those immigrants who were already here have tended to look down on the newcomers. The laws have changed frequently with the main divide being the federal law passed in 1906. After that date it is likely that more information will be found in the records than was given before. But inconsistencies and mangled spellings are very common. It's a never-ending challenge!

* In the November program, Dr. Barbara Backer will discuss the work of Dr. Sylvanus Everts and his family.

The society meets at 7:15 pm on the second Tuesday of each month at the Swanson Center for Older Adults, 910 State Street, La Porte., weather permitting. The public is welcome at all meetings.

It's not too early to apply for one or more residency certificates for 2012. Our web site at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/ has information for those who believe they have La Porte County ancestors (and can prove it!). There's information on how to apply for First Families of La Porte (before December 1840), Pioneer Families (1841-1860), Settler Families (1861-1880), and Civil War Families (1861-1865).

You can also read or search back issues of the society's newsletter, December 2005 through December 2009, including genealogical and historical information from members' research and abstracting work in local records, on our blog at http://lpcgs.blogspot.com.

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