2015 KCGS Annual Meeting and Conference

KCGS Annual Conference will be held June 20, 2015 with Wichita Genealogical Society as co-hosts in Wichita, KS. Please visit our website for program and registration information. 
Featured speaker will be Kathleen Strader Brandt Professional Genealogist / Consultant / Speaker. You can see Kathleen's work on TLC and NBC: Who Do You Think You Are? with Tim McGraw (appears on episode), Reba McEntire, Ashley Judd, and Chris O'Donnell; on PBS: Finding Your Roots; CCTV Biz Asia; and, in AARP and Jet Magazine.  Ask about the You Are A Pioneer series as presented at Stephens College, Columbia, MO, Feb 2014, and is referenced in Genealogy Online for Dummies, 7th Edition, 2014. Engaged in forensic genealogy, she is a licensed Private Investigator (MO). She recently compiled and authored Colored Marriages of Saline County, MO., released April 2014.

Wichita Genealogical Society Annual Conference

 October 11, 2014 - Wichita Genealogical Society Annual Conference, 9:00 am – 3:45 pm, (doors open at 8:15); Eugene M Hughes Metropolitan Complex,  5015 E 29^th St N, Wichita, Kansas.
Our Guest Speakers are John Philip Colletta, one of America’s most popular genealogical lecturers and Michelle Enke, Local History Librarian at The Wichita Public Library and manager of the Lawrence & Lucile Wulfmeyer Genealogy/Special Collections Center located in the WPL downtown library. 
For additional information and to download registration forms, see our website:  www.wichitagensoc.org

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies Moves Web Site

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies has moved their web site to http://www.kcgs.us/ . Information on the 2014 Annual Conference is posted there. To be held in McPherson, KS, the speaker this year will be Valerie Eichler Lair.

2013 KCGS Conference and Annual Meeting

KCGS 2013 Conference and annual meeting, June 18 . "Research on the Range", Dyck Arboretum, Hesston, KS., 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Registration is required to guarantee lunch and a syllabus.
Speakers will include:

Art Binford	Friends University	Quaker Collection
Ashley Diaz	Emporia State University	ESU Archives at William Allen White Library
Jane Jones	Harvey County Archives	Local Historical Society Collections
John Thiesen	Bethel College	Mennonite Library & Archives Records
Lenora Lynam Lorna Nelson	Lindsborg Old Mill Museum	Swedish & Lutheran Records
Michelle Enke	Wichita Public Library	Wulfmeyer Genealogy Collection at WPL
Patty Nicholas	Ft. Hays State University	Volga German Records at Forsyth Library
Randy Roberts	Pittsburg State University	PSU Archives at Axe Library

Swedish Genealogy Workshop

Old Mill Museum, Lindsborg, KS will sponsor at Swedish Genealogy Workshop September 28 &29, 2013. Registration is required. Go to http://www.mcphersoncountyks.us/DocumentCenter/View/1552  for details.

KCGS Annual Meeting and Conference

June 23, 2012

2012 KCGS Annual Meeting and Conference will be June 23, 2012, in the Kanza Room of the Memorial Union at Emporia State University, co-hosted by Flint Hills Genealogical Society.
Our Speaker will be Julie Miller of Colorado. She will present the following lectures:
The 5 Steps of Genealogical Proof
Make the Census Work for You
When Grandpa Went Off to War: U.S. Military Records
An Ounce of Prevention: Making a Genealogical Disaster Plan

Registration and additional information

MHGS Announces Programs

January 2012
"Party Lines, Smudge Pots and LP Records --- Stepping Back in Time" presented by Annette Schmidt, MHGS Recording Secretary and Board Member
Saturday, January 28 at 10:00 a.m. at Midwest.
In the first month of the new year, it's the perfect time to reflect and wax nostalgic about the "good old days." Join Annette for a lively interactive discussion involving some of our fondest, most foolish and funniest memories from the past. It's pop culture gone retro!

February 2012
"Evaluating Sources" presented by Margaret Lucas, MHGS Librarian and Board Member
Saturday, Feb 11 at 1:00 p.m. at Midwest.
It's going to be more than just a discussion on primary and secondary sources, but also on evaluating sources, finding out how to determine the difference between information, knowledge and sources; the difference between a theory and proof of that theory; justifying a conclusion based upon indirect or conflicting evidence; how to intelligently argue with pieces of information--that is, looking for inherent flaws, biases, and contradictions.

March 2012
Before there was a Sedgwick County, before there was a Wichita, there was a First Presbyterian Church… "Preserving History Through Its Archives" with Gary Huffman, Archivist at First Presbyterian Church
Saturday, March 3 --- exact time to be announced at later date --- will meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 525 North Broadway Street.
The history of First Presbyterian Church is interwoven with the history of the county and the city. Many of the early church members were movers and shakers in the community. Come visit so you can share in a rich community resource.

KCGS Annual Meeting and Conference

2012 KCGS Conference will be June 23, 2012, in the Kanza Room of the Memorial Union at Emporia State University, co-hosted by Flint Hills Genealogical Society. The Speaker will be Julie Miller of Colorado. She will present the following lectures:

The 5 Steps of Genealogical Proof

Make the Census Work for You

When Grandpa Went Off to War: U.S. Military Records

An Ounce of Prevention: Making a Genealogical Disaster Plan

KCGS Annual Meeting and Conference 2011

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies will hold it's annual meeting and conference June 18, 2011, with Riley County Genealogical Society as the co-host, in Manhattan, KS. The featured speaker will be Anne Staley, Jacksville, Florida.

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies Conference

June 19, 2010 - Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies Annual Meeting and Conference, Co-hosted by Sumner County Genealogical Society. Wellington High School, 1700 E 16th St, Wellington, KS. Speaker will be Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective.
A Spokesperson with Credentials and Media Presence

For public relations professionals who need the perfect spokesperson for their genealogy or photo-related product, brand, or launch, Maureen Taylor is an ideal solution. She has a wealth of experience as a genealogist, historian, and photo expert. Plus, she has a face for TV, a voice for radio, and numerous interviews with top-tier media to her credit.

Maureen knows photographs. As the Photo Detective, her focus is photography—from the little details that date a 19th-century picture to dealing with digital overload. As an author, sought-after speaker, and corporate spokesperson, Maureen shares her photo expertise with all who want to learn more about preserving their past.

Her interviews, books, and articles reach millions each month. Her passion for photography and genealogy resulted in Maureen researching Meredith Vieira’s family tree for a segment of The View and Timberly Whitfield’s family for Hallmark’s New Morning Show.

In addition, her numerous television, radio, and print media interviews include Better Homes & Gardens, The Boston Globe, Claritin’s Moment of Clarity, Creative Memories Lasting Moments, Dear Myrtle, DIY:Scrapbooking, Life Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, MSNBC, PBS Ancestors,and Satisfaction Magazine. She also shares her tips and techniques in energetic lectures on family history and photography that encourage participants to ask questions about a wide range of concerns from finding their roots to caring for great-grandmother’s scrapbook.

In 1999-2001, Maureen represented Genealogy.com. In 2003, Maureen acted as a consultant for Picasa, Google’s software for organizing and sharing photos. Her work as a national corporate spokesperson on marketing campaigns has included:

• Satellite TV and radio media tours
• National and local television appearances
• Interviews with national magazines

Member Society Programs

A reminder to all member societies! Please submit your planned programs for 2010 ASAP for publication on KCGS "Calendar of Events". It is important that you not only include the speaker and subject for the program but where it will be held and the time it will start. It would also be helpful if you supplied a contact e-mail where further information can be sought.

Did Granny Tell You There Was an Indian in Your Past?

Family History Month Seminar by Robert Winter Owl Vann, Genealogical Lecturer and Native American Storyteller with session topics: Climbing the Family Totem Pole, Geographical Migrations of Native Americans, Government Records for Indian Research and Methods of Organization and Records Management. (Sessions are intended for beginning genealogists and those just starting their Native American Research.
Active in genealogical research since 1963, Robert Winter Owl Vann has taught genealogy classes to church groups as well as adult Community Extension classes through Sam Houston State University. He is an LDS Family History Center Associate Director, a Beta tester for the new familysearch.com program, a family Church Services Missionary, and is the current President of the Walker County (AL) Genealogy Society.
Mr. Vann has national experience as a Native American Historian and Storyteller, and regularly does workshops and lectures on things Cherokee. His three-issue article on Cherokee research was published in the Valley Leaves Quarterly of the Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society.
Join Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society on Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex at Wichita State University, 5015 East 29th Street N, Wichita, KS. Reservations made by September 30 will include a box lunch at no additional charge. $25 for MHGS members, $35 for non-members. For reservation contact MHGS at 316 264-3611 or by e-mail.
Funded in part by a grant from the City of Wichita.

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies Annual Conference 2009

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies Annual meeting and conference will be held on June 20, 2009 in Wichita, KS with Wichita Genealogical Society as co-host. Megan Smolenyak will present four lectures:Trace Your Roots with DNA, Welcome to Roots Television, Reverse Genealogy: Techniques for Finding Your Lost Loved Ones and Find That Obituary: Online Newspaper Research. Keep in touch for registration information but mark your calendar now.

Central Plains Region National Archives

Researchers with Kansas connections might find some interesting resources at the Central Plains Region National Archives in Kansas City. Why not put a visit in your plans while attending the NGS conference in May!

The National Archives Central Plains Region holds the retired records of federal agencies in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. We hold records of over 100 different government agencies dating from the 1820s to the 1990s. These agencies include the National Park Service, the Weather Bureau, the National War Labor Board, and the United States Geological Survey, among others.

Many records at the Central Plains Regional Archives are of interest to genealogists. Among them, for example, are the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which contains information about reservations, schools, and agencies of northern woodland and plains Indians. These records document tribal economic, political, and social life of American Indians, the government's perceptions regarding them, and the American Indians' relations and opinions of the government. In addition to reports, correspondence, and other textual records, there are photographs and maps among these records.

The records of the Bureau of Land Management document land records for the states of Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska from 1840 to 1915. Among these records are homestead claim papers, abstracts of land entries, tract books, and material related to surveys of the land.

A large record group at the Central Plains Region Archives that is of interest to the genealogical community is Record Group 21, Records of the District Courts of the United States. These records include civil, criminal, equity, and habeas corpus proceedings that took place in courts in the seven-state region. Also in the records are naturalization proceedings, which include declarations of intention, petitions for naturalization, and citizenship certificate stubs. This record group also includes World War I-era enemy alien registrations from the state of Kansas.

Another record group that genealogists may find useful is the Records of the Bureau of Prisons. These contain original prison inmate files created by the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. These records date from the first inmate incarcerated in 1895 through the 1920s. The files contain record sheets detailing inmates' crime, conviction, sentence, violations while in prison, and usually, a mug shot.

The Central Plains Regional Archives also has available to researchers over 45,000 rolls of microfilm, including the US Census from 1790-1930 as well as indexes for military records, Freedman's Bureau records, and microfilmed Indian census of the Five Civilized Tribes (Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole). The microfilm research room is designed for self-service, but volunteers are available to provide efficient service and personalized attention.

We invite you to visit the National Archives-Central Plains Region. We are located at 2312 East Bannister Road, Kansas City, MO 64131 and phone number is 816.268.8000. For email reference: kansascity.archives@nara.gov. Visit us online at: www.archives.gov/central-plains/kansas-city
"This article is reprinted from UpFront with NGS, the Online Newsletter of NGS, Volume 8 Number 3, dated 1 March 2008. by permission"

Pamela K. Boyer Coming to Kansas

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies Annual Conference, June 21, 2008, will feature Pamela K. Boyer as the guest speaker. The conference will be held at The Ceders in McPherson, Kansas from 8:15 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. There will be four sessions that will include: "What's at the County Courthouse?", "Maps: Where to Find Them and How to Use Them", "Our National Treasure: The Library of Congress" and "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Evaluating Internet Sources". Plan now to attend. Registration information is available on the KCGS web site.