October 14 Meeting of the LPCIGS

October 14 Meeting of the LPCIGS

Nineteen members and guests were present for the regular monthly meeting of the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society at the La Porte City Parks Department Building oat 250 Pine Lake Avenue in on Tuesday evening, October 14. President Dorothy Palmer called the meeting to order at 7:06 pm.

The business portion of the meeting included an announcement that the Board had decided that the annual holiday meal and presentation of the Genealogist of the Year award will be held at a local restaurant, at 6 pm on Tuesday, December 9. Members will be notified by email and at the November 11 meeting of the final details and deadline for RSVPs.

A further feature of the meeting was the explanation by Palmer of how she, and Pam Pulice, a member and local videographer, recorded a video interview of member Paul Graham, a WWII veteran who lived through the Battle of the Bulge, for the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. Graham’s video, and the documents supporting it, will be forwarded to the Library of Congress by way of Senator Dan Coats for the Library archives.

Following the business portion of the meeting, La Porte County Historian Fern Eddy Schultz informed the audience what records could be found in the La Porte County courthouses. She began with a concise history of the various courts in the county and the buildings which housed them. She then outlined the records which the courts and county offices have produced. She emphasized the value of the 1939 WPA inventory of the records, and said that learning what records were in our local files would be a good start to realizing which records are to be found in other jurisdictions. Schultz encouraged researchers to seek all types of records which were generated contemporaneously with their ancestors. Stopping once you find the birth, marriage, and death records could mean that you miss important facts and clues about your family.

The next meeting will be at 7 pm, Tuesday, November 11, at the La Porte City Park Department Headquarters. Genealogist and author, Patricia Gruse Harris will present a program in honor of Veteran’s Day, “Military Cemetery flag Holders, the organizations they represent and how to obtain information on ancestor’s service”.

More information about the society, its objectives, and awards can be found at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/.