A Happy 40th!

 

After a couple of month's delay, the La Porte County (IN) genealogical Society celebrated a "Ruby" anniversary.

In January of 1984, a group of people were invited by Fern Eddy Schultz and Holly Jenks to meet for the purpose of forming a La Porte County genealogical society. The group organized and did all of the things required, and by June of that year were publishing a newsletter and meeting regularly.

Allowing a few months for the word to spread, the society gathered 65 charter members. By 1985, they boasted over 100 members.

On Tuesday evening, March 12th, 2024, the local members and two guests filled the meeting room at the La Porte County Public Library Main Branch to celebrate 40 years of mutual help and education. Two of the charter members were present to receive commemorative certificates. Cake and soft drinks were shared, and Patricia Gruse Harris, one of the charter members, reminded us of the early days.

Happy 40th Anniversary!

 

This Event Postponed: the date below is invalid 

Check the FaceBook site for more Information

My Email this morning had a item with the above title. With apology to Dorothy Palmer, I am copying the beautiful invitation here:

A real milestone for the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society

Personally, I wasn't there for the first meeting, but I have attended almost all of the meetings since September of 2001. What I learned from the other members has been the backbone of the research which I have accomplished since, and the folks who established this society live on in my memories.

Fortunately, a couple of them are around still around, and they will share some memories with us. Come join us if you can.

Ancestry owns Find A Grave

Some things about Find A Grave have always been annoying (I say always, but mean "since I have become aware of the site.")

The minority that treats the site as a place to count "trophies" is obnoxious, and their attitude to folks who suggest corrections, or who request transfers often is extremely irritating. 

More serious is the group that rushes to post new deaths. We all realize that newspaper obituaries and on-line lists on the sites of funeral homes can be a source of very early indications of deaths. A family which wants to consult with relatives for funeral arrangements or one which has personal reasons to delay a publication of the death can be blind-sided when their late relative's name surfaces on Find A Grave; further, they will have no say in how the posting appears.

Below is a link to a blog by Judy Russel, "The Legal Genealogist". She points out the gaps in the solution advanced by Find A Grave's parent company, Ancestry to this problem. I urge you to read Judy's blog, and to express your reaction to the executives at Ancestry.

 Judy G. Russell, “Ancestry, this one’s on you,” The Legal Genealogist (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : posted 31 May 2022).

Alan H Zeller

 

Alarm!!!

I read a bunch of history books, mostly "popular" subjects by professional historians. They usually end with a score or more pages of references. I usually skip them.

I have bank accounts, credit card accounts, and a critically important retirement account. All of the financial institutions controlling these accounts periodically send me notices of changes - new Terms of Service, or changes to the rules governing the account. I usually skip them, or, at best, skim the summaries which often accompany them.

When I install or upgrade software on my computer or phone, there is a vendor's agreement which has to be accepted before the installation. Maybe this even has to be read before you click the box "I agree". I bet that I am not the only person who hits the scroll down to get to the end, but reads none of the legal words. It's called "clicking through".

Another place where a Terms of Service (TOS) agreement is often slighted is on the websites where you can build your family tree or post many kinds of data. You actually have a contract with the owner of such a site, and sometimes close attention to the TOS is merited.

On August third, Ancestry.com sent a notice of the changes in their TOS and Privacy Rules. Don't click through these! There is a lot of heavy reading here, but a few very bright folks have done most of it for you. In essence the change is that the rights which you granted to Ancestry ( and Find A Grave, Fold3, Newspapers.com,  and any other parts of Ancestry.com) now are perpetual and non-revocable and not dependent upon whether you remove "User Content" or even whether you are still a user of Ancestry Family Trees.

To get a better understanding of the changes, check Judy Russell, the Legal Genealogist, at https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2021/08/04/one-big-change-at-ancestry/, and at https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2021/08/06/ancestry-retreats/.

A discussion of the alternative strategies which are available is at

 https://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2021/08/the-sky-is-falling-or-is-it.html?fbclid=IwAR1iqcbIT6_LZ857fd-rFawj1eq-K6vzHKCwPJ_fP2ga9wCOWeTaB4ldY-8.

 

AncestryDNA evidently is not affected by these changes - but it never hurts to keep your eyes open.

 

Alan H Zeller ahzeller21@gmail.com

Using Your Research Time Well

 

At the Tuesday, September 8, 2020 meeting, President Carol Lloyd reminded us of the opportunities for learning on the internet. As an example, she copied a handout from a webinar presented by Curt B Witcher, the manager of the Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library.

Mr Witcher emphasized the value of getting the maximum out of your historical research. He had suggestions ranging from how to ask archivists and record custodians the "right" question, to using parts of the library beyond the genealogical collection. He even included a form for thoroughly recording  and documenting your search.

Check the ACPL website and all of your favorite sites frequently. Notices of free classes and webinars are opportunities to improve your skills.

Not Your Ordinary Meeting!

 September 8, 2020

About 12 members and a guest gathered in the yard of President Carol Lloyd's home at 5:30 in the evening for a celebration of family history and La Porte County history. 

The business meeting was presented in a condensed format, due to public health protocols. All attendees wore face coverings and observed appropriate spacing. The program was the presentation of residency awards for 2020.

Carol Lloyd and Rick Deutscher, 

who removed their masks for a

photo op.

Member Rick Deutscher spoke about the difficulties he had encountered as he traced his ancestors. He found that his great-grandfather, John Schlene, could be found in property records as early as 1854. With proof of his relationship to John, Rick received a Pioneer Settler Award. Another great-grandfather, Christopher Deutscher, was proved in La Porte County in 1861, and he qualified for the presentation of  a Settler Award.

The Awards were presented by  President Lloyd, in the absence of the Residency Committee's Chair, Fern Eddy Schultz.

Future Meetings

Although the next meeting is scheduled for October 13, the meeting place and time could be altered. The President will endeavor to notify all members as soon as details are determined.

Website and Facebook

Check for news on Facebook [La Porte County Genealogical Society], or at the website, www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/.

Plans

The Covid-19 crisis has caused the cancellation of many planned events.

The regular meeting of the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society scheduled for April 14, with Harold Henderson telling us how to find and use Church records, has been cancelled.

The annual bus trip to the Allen County Public Library, organized by the society and supported by the Michigan City Public Library is on hold, hopefully subject to a revised schedule.

The next genealogical society meeting is to be held on May 12, 2020. Present plans are to hear Patricia Gruse Harris tell us about "Civil War Nurses of La Porte County."
The society has toured a local cemetery every June for over 25 years. This June 9, we will view the Miriam Benedict Cemetery, located on U.S. 6 east of Westville. Plan to be there at 6 PM. A gathering will follow at a restaurant in Westville.

Cancellation

The closing of the Park Department office to the public  will mean that the April 14, 2020 meeting of the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society is cancelled.

Please pass the word on this, and keep yourself well.

Join the LPCIGS at Allen County Public Library!

Obviously, this event at this date is CANCELLED! Watch for rescheduling, or check the Website or FACEBOOK

 Here is a repeat of the press release from the

La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society:

Genealogy research bus trip planned

Reservations are now being accepted for the annual genealogy research bus trip to the Allen County Public Library co-sponsored by the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical society  and  the Michigan City Public Library on April 22.

The bus will leave Marquette Mall near the former movie theater at 7 am CDST with a pickup about 7:30 at the parking lot of Kabelin's Ace Hardware on west Indiana 2 in La Porte. Return will be approximately 6 pm  in La Porte and 6:30 in Michigan City.

Reservations of $22 per person are due and payable to the La Porte County Genelogical Society c/o 164 Riviera Drive, Michigan City, In 46360-6800 by  April 1.

All are welcome to join us and research their family history at Indiana's largest genealogy library. Call (219) 872-3273 for additional information.

At the Christmas Party of the La Porte County (IN)

Genealogical Society

December 10, 2019

 Patricia Gruse Harris presents the Genealogist of the Year certificate to Dorothy Palmer

The La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society met at ‘Round the Clock restaurant on Tuesday, December 10, 2019. The annual holiday dinner was enjoyed by members.

Following the meal, the committee for the Genealogist of the Year Award was called upon. Chairperson Dorothy Palmer announced that there was no recipient . She was interrupted by committee member Gloria Arndt, who  explained that the award honors a recipient for service to the area of genealogy in La Porte County. The Genealogist of the Year Award is given to a living individual who has promoted genealogy in La Porte County, IN by publications, programs, and/or by assisting others in their search for source records. Arndt outlined Palmer's service to the society and to Genealogy, citing the offices she has held and the activities she has organized.

The 2019 recipient, Dorothy Palmer, has served as President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the society. She assisted with the participation by the society at the Pioneer Days at Creek Ridge County Park. As the society's contribution to the Indiana Bicentennial in 2016, she cooperated with the Michigan City Public Library to present "Indiana Through the Lens". She has been active in record indexing and transcription and the publication of these indices and transcriptions. A certificate honoring her selection was presented by Arndt and Patricia Gruse Harris, committee member.

For more information about the society, please visit sites.rootsweb.com/~inlcigs/, or follow us on Facebook. Letters or inquiries may be addressed to the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 365, La Porte, IN 46352.

The January meeting of the society, an opportunity for members and guests to share their new discoveries, is scheduled for 7 PM, on Tuesday, January 14, 2020.  The meeting will be at the usual meeting place, the La Porte City Parks Department headquarters building at 250 Pine Lake Avenue, La Porte

La Porte County Residency Certificates

Our September meeting is the occasion of the awarding of La Porte County(IN) residency certificates.
The certificates are in four classifications:
         First Families - for proven ancestors before December 31, 1840
         Pioneer Families - Residents between 1841 and 1860
         Settler Families - Residents between 1860 and 1880
         Civil War Families - For ancestors who served from 1861 to April 1865, with residence requirements.

The  annual meeting is always interesting. Each of these figures from the past have a personal meaning to the recipients, and they will share with the members and guests.

SeekingMichigan.org is Moving!

Seeking Michigan

Dick Eastman tells us that the abundant information available at this site will be at a new web address, beginning September 1, 2019. 

An announcement at seekingmichigan.org/look/2019/07/29/seekingmichigan-org-is-moving  gives the details. The new address will be Michiganology.org.

Some of the features will not be moving, so check out the announcement yourself.

 Another site which could interest many of us is featured in the Family Tree Magazine's annual  list of the 101 Best Websites.

An ongoing project at the University of California is making available digitized images of California newspapers. It is worth the time to become familiar with this resource. Go to cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc .

July 9, 2019

 

Join us on Tuesday, July 9!

Tour of Salem Cemetery June 11, 2019

More than twenty members and guests enjoyed great weather for a Cemetery tour.

This year, the Salem Chapel Cemetery,  south and east of La Porte on Indiana Hiway 4 was selected. A pamphlet listed early  burials and veterans buried there. Fern Eddy Schultz spoke about the history of the cemetery and Salem Chapel United Methodist Church. Members and guests told stories of other families.

Next month the Society will return to the usual meeting place, at 7 PM, in the headquarters of the La Porte City Park Department, 250 Pine Lake Avenue. The business meeting will be followed by "The Sons of the American Revolution", presented by Doug McGriff, Chaplain of the Duneland chapter of the Indiana Society of the American revolution. Guests are always welcome.

Cemetery Tour

The Cemetery Tour Tuesday, June 11, is at 3501 Hiway 4. This is adjacent to the church building which formerly was Salem Chapel U M Church.

The address earlier published was that of the new church building, located nearer to La Porte.

LPCIGS Meeting March 12, 2019

The General Manager of the Hesston Steam Museum, Ted Rita,
will be our guest speaker on Tuesday evening, March 12. This operating collection of the machinery that moved our ancestors into the Twentieth Century can remind us of how they lived their lives.
The public is always welcome at our meetings. For more information, follow us on Facebook at La Porte County Genealogical Society.  

February Meeting

UPCOMING

Our society is planning a Show and Tell session at our meeting on Tuesday, February 12th. Everyone likes to hear about the ways which you have discovered more details about the roots that support your family tree. Often, your story will illuminate a type of record or a line of reasoning which will help me push past the barrier which had me baffled. If you can't think of a breakthrough of your own, come and ask  your friends questions .

Too, plan ahead for the Bus Trip to Allen County Public Library. The trip is scheduled for April 24, 2019. It will leave Michigan City at 7 AM, with a stop in La Porte about 7:30. Contact Patricia Gruse Harris for reservations, and  prepare,  using the excellent on-line catalog; and perhaps try some searches using PERSI.

Pioneer Family Certificate

At the Tuesday, September 11, 2018 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, Anne Durrant and Alan Zeller, reviewed and approved the awarding of the following certificate:

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

                Carol Lloyd, whose ancestor, Hiram McNett, appears in the 1850 Federal Census of La Porte County. Hiram died in 1865  and is buried in Union Mills Cemetery.

Please visit the Society’s FaceBook page or the website at http://sites.rootsweb.com/~inlcigs/index.htm 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.  

In addition to the Pioneer Family Certificates, the society also presents First Family, Settler Family, and Civil War Ancestor Family Certificates.

June 2018 Meeting of the La Porte County, Indiana Genealogical Society

On Tuesday evening, June 12, the La Porte County, Indiana Genealogical Society met at Lambs Chapel Cemetery, Fail Road and 600 North in Kankakee Township. Twenty-one members and guests were given a brief history of the cemetery by Alan Zeller. The details of the Stanton family, buried in the cemetery. was the subject of Ron Hyer's presentation.  Attendees examined the whole cemetery, and they uncovered some interesting tales suggested by the inscriptions.

Following the tour, many of the group congregated at the Little Tavern Too, in Rolling Prairie.

The next regular meeting  will be at the La Porte City Park Department building, at 250 Pine Lake Avenue. At 7 PM, Tuesday July 10, 2018,  The business meeting will be followed by  "Accessing Family Search's Digital Records", presented by Marlene Petty Pollster.

Lambs Chapel Cemetery - June 12, 2018

Tuesday evening, June 12, will find a friendly group of genealogists touring one of La Porte County's historic cemeteries.

Annual event of the La Porte County, Indiana Genealogical Society

Lambs Chapel Cemetery is in Kanakee Township, at 6006 North Fail Road, just a mile north of U. S. 20. There are burials dating back into the middle of the 19th Century. The cemetery is the resting place of many veterans as well as some of La Porte County's early settlers.

Guests are welcome to join us at 6 PM, Central time, and hear a brief presentation about a few of these people. A gathering will be held following the tour. We will proceed east to Rolling Prairie, and meet at the Little Tavern, at 201 W. Michigan Street. Food and /or refreshments can be ordered.