Who will be Genealogist of the Year?

Our Annual Christmas Party is coming!

"A Piece of Eden"

On October 30, 2016 an audience of about thirty enjoyed a screening of "A Piece of Eden", a cinema filmed in La Porte County and nearby regions.The story concerned a family orchard and the difficulties and joys which several generations experienced there.

John D. Hancock and Dorothy Tristan

Comments before the screening from La Porte County, Indiana Genealogical society President Dorothy Palmer and The Beacher editor Drew Tallackson enhanced the viewing. A special treat was the insight given by the post-screening comments of the film's director, John D. Hancock, and of Dorothy Tristan, the screenwriter (and Mr. Hancock's wife).

2016 Residency Awards

At the Tuesday, September 13, 2016 meeting of the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society, the Annual Residency Certificate awarding took place.  Chairperson of the Committee, Fern Eddy Schultz, and committee members, Gloria Arndt and Dottisue Gansemer reviewed and approved the awarding of the following certificates:

First Family for documented ancestor in La Porte County by December 31, 1840:

                Carol Lloyd, whose documented ancestor was Miriam Benedict.

                Barbara Lee Reuter Metzger, whose documented ancestor was James Titus.

Pioneer Family for documented ancestor in La Porte County during the period 1841 to 1860:

                Bryan D. Sisson, whose documented ancestor was Henry B. Dietz.

Settler Family for documented ancestor in La Porte Count during the period 1861 to 1880:

                Barbara Lee Reuter Metzger, whose documented ancestor was John F. Beal.

Civil War Ancestor Family for documented ancestor in La Porte County prior to or at the time of enlistment in the military during the Civil War, 1861-April 30, 1865:

                Barbara Lee Reuter Metzger, whose documented ancestor was Nelson James Titus.

Please visit the Society’s website, www.rootsweb.com/~inlcigs, for information regarding obtaining an application for this program.  Deadline for receipt of applications by the Society is July 31 of each year.  Certificates are awarded annually at the September meeting of the Society.  The primary purposes of the Residency Certificate program are (1) To identify and honor the memory of the earliest pioneers and veterans of la Porte County (IN) and (2) To show the proved pioneer’s and veteran’s lasting mark on the county they helped develop and serve by honoring their descendants.   

Relase text provided by Fern Eddy Schultz

Residency Certificates

On September 13, 2016. our society will honor

those who have proved their descent from

early families in La Porte County

From First Families to Settlers, La Porte County was established by a people whose efforts gave us our start. The categories and an email address are published on our website,  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/certificates.htm

Join us at the La Porte Parks Department Building at 250 Pine Lake Avenue, La Porte. The Business meeting starts at 7 PM, and refreshments and the presentation by the committee of Fern Eddy Schultz, Gloria Arndt, and Dottisue Gansemer will follow.

Worthwhile

I have followed a blog detailing the digitization of Indiana newspapers for the last several months.
A project of the Indiana State Library, it has been interesting, featuring extracts from lesser-known episodes in Indiana history. Periodically, a list of recent digitizations appears. The latest includes an area newspaper and may interest you. The Lake County Times, 1910-1922 may have local news - I have found articles on Porter County and La Porte County folks when I scan older microfilms of this paper, also known as the Hammond Times.
Give the blog a visit, and sign up for email updates.

Here is the link:

http://blog.newspapers.library.in.gov/new-issues-available/

Magnificent!

Next Saturday, July 23, 2016, join us at the Michigan City Public Library.
The La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society and the Library present the next in the series, "Indiana Through the Camera Lens", a participating event in Indiana's Bicentennial.

"The Magnificent Ambersons"

This film showcases some of the changes in our nation and our state brought about by the change from a simpler lifestyle to a more modern one. It stars a native of Michigan City, Ann Baxter.

The presentation starts at 2 PM, and the Library is located at 4th and Franklin Streets in Michigan City. Check out the related displays in the Library all this week.

YUMMY!!

Our regular July meeting is on Tuesday, July 12.

Join us -and bring your memories.

Quaker Cemetery Tour

Tuesday Evening, June 14, the members and guests of the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society  enjoyed a pleasant tour of the Quaker Cemetery on North Park Street in La Porte.

Members of the Program Committee, led by Laura Shields, told us about the history of the cemetery and of some of the lives and families memorialized there.

Join us for next month's meeting and program "Who Were the La Porte County People Who gave Us This Yummy Treat Over the Years?", in honor of National Ice Cream Month. We will be at the City of La Porte Parks and Recreation Department Building, at 250 Pine Lake Avenue, La Porte. As usual, the meeting will start at 7 PM Central Time.

 

17 Million Records!

I was born 75 years ago. For the first 66 of those years, I regularly saw my brother, Richard. I didn't always know that he had a Birthday, and it was probably eight years before I realized that his Birthday was August 16, and even more until I knew or cared that he was born in Hammond, Lake county, Indiana, in the year 1936. Until Yesterday, I knew that date and place- but if you asked me for proof, all I could say was that he or my parents told me so. Out of all these sources, my parents are the only primary sources. I certainly wasn't there, and my brother, always reliable and truthful, was unable to form any real memories at the time of the event.

Now I can see an image of a primary source for that place and date, and for his parents' names and hometown. Ancestry has a new collection of records and images recorded in cooperation with the Indiana State Department of Health, 17 million (we are told) images of birth, marriage, and death certificates. These records are available to subscribers, of course, but also to those who visit ISDH in person. I have not yet tested the access to these records on the Library edition of Ancestry. 

The La Porte County (Indiana) Genealogical Society

Has changed its mail address:

La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society

P. O. Box 365

La Porte, IN 46352

A Busy Month - May

This month will see two events for the La Porte County Indiana Genealogical Society

Our regular meeting, at the :La Porte City Parks Department Building,  250 Pine Lake Avenue, will be followed by a presentation by Mary Hedge, professional librarian at the La Porte County Public Library. Mary will help us meet

 "Prominent Jewish Citizens of La Porte County"

This meeting is 7 PM, on Tuesday, May 10.

The second event is scheduled for 1 PM, Saturday, May 21. It will be at the Michigan City Public Library, and will feature Michael Lacopo, DVM.

Michael is a nationally-known genealogist who will speak on "Methods for Identifying the German Origins of American Immigrants"

March Program

Don Glossinger, director of the Michigan City Public Library, will present a program "The Challenges of Irish Genealogy".

Join us at 7:00 PM, on March 8, 2016, at the City of La Porte Parks & Recreation Building, 250 Pine Lake Avenue

In honor of Indiana’s Bicentennial year, 2016, the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society and the Michigan City Public Library are, jointly, presenting five programs to celebrate the blending of peoples and cultures that became the foundation of our State and county.  All programs will be held at the Michigan City Public Library, 104 E. 4^th St., Michigan City, IN. 
The first event is scheduled for Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 2:00p.m., when the film Black Robe is shown. There will be an introduction of the film, and Genealogical Society members will be available after the film to answer questions.

See our website for more information.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/index.htm

An Indiana Bicentennial Project

Allen County Library's "Who's a Hoosier? 

In the latest issue of the Indiana Genealogical Society's Newsletter,  I noted a project in which many of us could participate.
The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library has a project through December 11, 2016 to collect photos of "old and new images of daily life and the people of Indiana..." Click on this link to see a flyer.

To view the pictures already uploaded, click on this link to the album. (and then scroll down to "Who's a Hoosier?")