September 2012 Residency Certificates Awarded!

PHOTO CAPTION, left to right: James A. Pike, Patricia Ann Lyke Townsend, Monica Nowatzke, Karen Louise Peters, Bruce R. Johnson, Colin James Hay and Cynthia Blicher with residency certificates issued at the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society September 11 honoring their descendancy from an early ancestor in the county.

At its September 11, 2012, meeting, the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society awarded thirteen residency certificates. 

Five First Family residency certificates (before 31 December 1840) were issued to:

*Cynthia L. Blicher for documenting her ancestor Gideon Brayton in the county in 1833, and 

* James A. Pike, Taylor Nicole Townsend, Michael Evans Townsend, and Patricia Ann Lyke Townsend for documenting their ancestor, James Gordon, in the county in 1832.

Five Pioneer residency certificates (1841-1860) were issued to:

* Monica Nowatzke for documenting her ancestor William Zeese in the county in 1853, and 

* Colin James Hay, Elizabeth Ann Hay, Edward Andrew Hay, and Eliot Anthony Hay for documenting their ancestor Daniel Nelson Hay in the county in 1855.

Three Settler residency certificates were issued to:

* Karen Louise Peters for documenting her ancestor Henry Haack in the county between 1861 and 1880, and

* Bruce R. Johnson for documenting his ancestors Johannes Olson and Daniel Johnson for the same period -- one certificate for each ancestor.

In addition, certificates for Civil War Families of La Porte County may be awarded if an ancestor served in the Civil War and is documented as a resident during the period between 1861 and 30 April 1865. There were no Civil War applications or awards this year. The society has awarded a total of 259 certificates since the program began in 1987. Documents supporting these and prior certificates are on file at the La Porte County Historical Society.

The Residency Committee -- Fern Eddy Schultz, Chair, Gloria Arndt, and Dottisue Gansemer -- reviewed all materials submitted with the applications and presented the certificates to the recipients.

The committee is now welcoming applications for 2013 certificates. Applications and documentation must be received no later than July 31, 2013, to be considered for awarding at the September 10, 2013, meeting of the Society. Applications may be requested from the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society, 904 Indiana Avenue, La Porte, IN 46350 or from Committee Chair, Fern Eddy Schultz at netster@csinet.net. More information at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/categories.htm.

In business prior to the awards, the society voted to contribute $100 to the ongoing pension digitization project for the War of 1812 being sponsored by the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and voted to add the immediate past president to its board as an advisory non-voting member. 

Weather permitting, the society meets at the Swanson Center for Older Adults, 910 State Street in La Porte, on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm. The public is welcome at all meetings. Membership dues are $10 individual, $12 family. The October meeting will feature this year's 4-H genealogy project winners.

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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