September 2013 genealogy meeting wrap-up with Barber pioneer residency certificate

Twenty-seven members and guests enjoyed an evening of genealogy September 10 when the La Porte County Genealogical Society met. Genealogist/historian Fern Eddy Schultz talked about finding records at the County Home to help a caller locate a relative now buried at Pine Lake Cemetery. Past president Pat Harris described a recent research trip to Ontario, Canada, where they called the archives ahead of time and got excellent help as a result. There was also discussion of courthouse rules and procedures regarding electronic equipment for genealogical use.

Highlight of the evening was the awarding of  a Pioneer residency certificate to Michael Lee Barber (pictured right), who documented his ancestry back to Ira Barber, who is on record as residing in La Porte County by 1845. (Note: you do not need to live in La Porte County to obtain this and other certificates -- only your ancestor!) The Residency Committee, consisting of Fern Eddy Schultz, Chair, Gloria Arndt and Dottisue Gansemer, reviewed all materials submitted with the application. Schultz thanked the committee and the honoree for participating in the program and encouraged others to also submit an application with documentation.

The society meets at 7 pm on the second Tuesday of each month, weather permitting, at the La Porte City Parks and Recreation Department building at 250 Pine Lake Avenue. The public is welcome at all meetings. For more information about the society's activities in awards, research, abstracting, transcribing, indexing, publishing, and records preservation, visit our web site at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/.

Also at our web site, those who believe they have La Porte County ancestors (and can prove it!) can find 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). The deadline for completed 2014 applications is July 31. The next awards will be made at the September 9, 2014 meeting.

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/2010/08/la-porte-county-genealogical-society.html.