January Genealogical Events in the Suburbs

Happy New Year! 

If you are like me, with a quiet genealogy month in December, I have a renewed spirit to start out the year with a push into learning new ideas.  I’m looking forward to attending several of the events listed below.  Here are the presentations in the area for the next six weeks or so.  If I’ve missed an event or you know of a society that can be included, please let me know.  Most of these events are free, but please check the website listed for more information and if necessary, any registration.  

I hope your genealogy research is successful in 2018.

January 2 9:30 AM

Creating Your Family History Album by Paul Robinson

Gail Borden Library, Elgin

http://www.elginroots.com/

January 6 10 AM

Digitizing Photos and Slides by Debra Dudek

Arlington Heights Senior Center

http://www.nwsgenealogy.org/

January 9 3 PM
Beginning Genealogy by Jacquie Schattner
Arlington Hts Library
http://www.ahml.info/

January 9 7:30 PM

Optimizing Your Searches on the Internet by Maureen Brady

Schaumburg Township Public Library

https://schaumburg.libnet.info/events?a=Adults&r=thismonth

January 10 7 PM

Tools for Translating and Transcribing Records

Fountaindale Public Library

http://communico.fountaindale.org/events

January 11 7 PM

Swedish Records by Kurt Pearson

Pointe Outreach Center, Crystal Lake

http://www.mcigs.org/calendar.html

January 13 10 AM

Top 10 Genealogical Tricks and Tips by Jacquie Schattner

Naperville Public Library

https://naperville-lib.evanced.info/signup/Calendar?lib=ALL&ag=Adult

January 13 1 PM

Glenview Naval Airbase – Hangar One Foundation by Bill Marquardt

Northbrook Historical Society

http://nsgsil.org

January 16 7 PM

Exploring Church Records by Jacquie Schattner

St. Charles Library

http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/

January 16 7 PM

From Piles to Files by Teresa McMillin

Indian Trails Library, Wheeling

http://www.indiantrailslibrary.org/events/index.html

January 17 6:30 PM

Reconstructing Your Soldier’s WWI Experiences by Tina Beaird

Wheaton Public Library

https://dcgs.org/

January 18 7 PM

Pandemic 1918; Spanish Influenza by Tina Beaird

Gail Borden Library, Elgin

http://www.elginroots.com/

January 20 10:30 AM

Brick by Brick, Tracing Your Home’s History by Tina Beaird

Schaumburg Township Public Library

http://caggni.shuttlepod.org/

January 23 7 PM

Emigration & Immigration – Your Immigrant Ancestor’s Story by Jacquie Schattner

Helen Plum Library, Lombard

http://www.helenplum.org/events/month/2018-01

January 25 6:30 PM

Using Ancestry

Palatine Public Library

http://www.palatinelibrary.org/events

February 3 10 AM

Funeral Homes and Family History by Daniel Earl (via webinar)

Arlington Heights Senior Center

http://www.nwsgenealogy.org/

February 6 9:30 AM

Suffering, Survival & Serendipity by Jim Weirman

Gail Borden Library, Elgin

http://www.elginroots.com/

February 8 7 PM

Newspapers.com by Alice Hayes

Pointe Outreach Center, Crystal Lake

http://www.mcigs.org/calendar.html

February 10 10 AM

How to Use DNA in Genealogical Research by Caron Primas Brennan

Naperville Public Library

https://naperville-lib.evanced.info/signup/Calendar?lib=ALL&ag=Adult

February 10 1:00 PM

Using DNA Test Results in the Genealogical Proof Standard by Karen Stanbury

Glenview Public Library

http://nsgsil.org

February 12 7 PM

Top 10 Tips and Tricks for Genealogy Research by Jacquie Schattner

Palatine Public Library

http://www.palatinelibrary.org/events

February 13 7:30 PM

Voyages of Our German Immigrants by Teresa Steinkamp McMillin

Schaumburg Township Public Library

https://schaumburg.libnet.info/events?a=Adults&r=thismonth

Christmas Meme

Again, Randy Seaver has a wonderful meme for this week.  It's an oldie but a goodie. Here are the questions and my answers.  Merry Christmas everyone!

THE 2012 CHRISTMAS GENEAMEME

1.       Do you have any special Xmas traditions in your family?  I wrap so each person gets their own color wrapping paper.  No labels, no bows. I put one wrapped present in their stocking so they know which color is theirs each year. Also, I think it’s unique that we all manage to get-together, normally on Christmas Day – over 20 people make the effort.

2.       Is church attendance an important part of your Christmas celebrations and do you go the evening before or on Xmas Day?  Yes, went to church as children and still do.  This year we are attending our daughter’s church, they have a live nativity scene.

3.       Did/do you or your children/grandchildren believe in Santa? We did and our kids did.  A 5^th grade teacher told my daughter, I was furious.

4.       Do you go carolling in your neighbourhood?  My daughters were part of a father daughter group and later a father son group.  They sang at nursing homes.

5.       What’s your favourite Christmas music?  I’m happy with any songs.

6.       What’s your favourite Christmas carol?  Does Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” count?  It’s my current favorite.

7.       Do you have a special Xmas movie/book you like to watch/read?  I LOVE the movie, “Love Actually. “ (Yes my favorite “carol” is in it!)

8.       Does your family do individual gifts, gifts for littlies only, Secret Santa (aka Kris Kringle)? At Thanksgiving we draw names, so each person buys for only one other person. We also are given lists of things they want, but we can buy something not on the list. Very organized. There are over 20 of us, so it takes a very long time to open.

9.       Is your main Christmas meal indoors or outdoors, at home or away? Always inside – it’s very cold here in Chicago.

10.  What do you eat as your main course for the Christmas meal? If at my house, it’s ham, at my mom’s or sister’s it’s roast beef.

11.  Do you have a special recipe you use for Xmas? Cookies, cookies cookies.

12.  Does Christmas pudding feature on the Xmas menu? Is it your recipe or one you inherited? Nope

13.  Do you have any other special Christmas foods? What are they?  Lots of munchies while opening presents, a big dinner and my mom makes a delicious rum pudding with raspberry sauce we eat with my Christmas cookies.

14.  Do you give home-made food/craft for gifts at Christmas? Cookies

15.  Do you return to your family for Xmas or vice versa? Yes, over 20 of us. My mom and my brother and sister and all our families.Now,  I especially enjoy celebrating with grandkids.  We make time for a second get-together for our 12.

16.  Is your Christmas celebrated differently from your childhood ones? If yes, how does it differ? Still the same.

17.  How do you celebrate Xmas with your friends? Lunch? Pre-Xmas outings? Drop-ins? A variety of get-togethers, dinners, lunches, parties.

18.  Do you decorate your house with lights? A little or a lot?  My husband decorates with thousands of lights outside.  It’s the brightest house on the block.

19.  Is your neighbourhood a “Xmas lights” tour venue? No, but the associations rents a horse and wagon for rides around the subdivision one night to see the lights.

20.  Does your family attend Carols by Candlelight singalongs/concerts? Where? Our Christmas church always ends with a candlelight carol.

21.  Have any of your Christmases been spent camping (unlikely for our northern-hemisphere friends)? Nope – I’m in the northern hemisphere.

22.  Is Christmas spent at your home, with family or at a holiday venue? Until a couple of years ago, it was always at my mom’s.  Now my sister and I split.  This year her place, next year ours.

23.  Do you have snow for Christmas where you live? Yes, lots.  When we spent Christmas with my husband’s family in Buffalo, we could get 3-5 feet!

24.  Do you have a Christmas tree every year? Yes

25.  Is your Christmas tree a live tree (potted/harvested) or an imitation?  When the kids lived at home we always chopped down a tree with friends, saw Mrs. Santa Claus and went out to dinner, the day after Thanksgiving. Once they went to college, we got an imitation and decorated it while they were home for Thanksgiving, which we do with the grandkids.  Our tree has many ornaments on the bottom branches and pretty bare up above, because all of our decorators are under 5.  But I love it and wouldn’t change a thing.

26.  Do you have special Xmas tree decorations?  Yes, we have vintage ornaments from my in-laws, and my husband and I have been buying each other ornaments that represent something that happened that year.  Many times it’s a vacation theme. We did the same for the kids, but gave them theirs the year they got married.

27.  Which is more important to your family, Christmas or Thanksgiving? Pretty even but probably Christmas.