GCGS Upcoming Events -- Meetings & Field Trips
Meetings are held at the Monroe, WI Public Library at 10:00 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month in the Community Room on the upper level. The library is located at 925 16th Ave, Monroe, WI. For more information call 608-328-7436.
2026
Feb 7 - "Monroe Library Genealogy Holdings" - presented by Suzann Holland
Are you on the hunt for genealogy records of your ancestors and where they lived? Suzann Holland, Library Director, will share what Green County genealogy records and resources are available at the Monroe Public Library. Most of these resources would not be available in our Research Center. This is a great opportunity to expand research opportunities.
Are you on the hunt for genealogy records of your ancestors and where they lived? Suzann Holland, Library Director, will share what Green County genealogy records and resources are available at the Monroe Public Library. Most of these resources would not be available in our Research Center. This is a great opportunity to expand research opportunities.
March 7 - "William Seamonson and My Civil War Adventure Trip" - presented by John Arneson
|
Sons of Norway-Mandt Lodge member John Arneson will share the story of his adventure following the Civil War battle engagements of John's great grandfather, William Seamonson. Born in Norway and immigrating as a young child, William went on to serve three years in the Wisconsin 23rd Division in the Red River, Vicksburg, and Mobile Campaigns during the Civil War.
Follow the journey that John's investigation has taken as he shares how he researched his great-grandfather's story of service to his country and what resources anyone has access to in order to research their own family members. Travels took them to Norway, Camp Randall, four southern states where most of his battle engagements occurred, to the state capitol, and ending at his final resting spot at West Koshkonong Church. |
|
April 4 - "A Visit to WHS: Genealogy Collections and Services" - presented by Rebecca Hopman
|
Ready to take a trip to the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS)? WHS holds one of the top five genealogical collections in the country, with materials from across the United States and Canada. Rebecca Hopman, Genealogy Services Librarian, will help us discover more about the extensive family history collections in the Library and Archives, including newspapers, family history books, court records, and more. Even if you can't make it to Madison, you'll find out how to get access to our physical and digital collections.
|
Rebecca Hopman is the Genealogy Services Librarian at the Wisconsin Historical Society, where she helps people discover their family stories. She lectures on a variety of topics, including genealogy, oral history, and historical research. She has a BA in History, English, and German from Augustan College (IL), an MLIS in Archives & Records Management from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MA in Women's History from Sarah Lawrence College. She currently serves as a board member for the Augustana Historical Society.
| A Visit to WHS: Genealogy Collections and Services |
April 24 Friday Fun Day - Findagrave and GPS Mapping and Video "Cemetery vs. Graveyard"
Bill Holland will share how to use the Findagrave website and app. He will explain how to add GPS to a memorial that you and others may use to locate a gravesite. At our next Friday Fun Day on May 15 we will meet at a cemetery and Bill will demonstrate how to add GPS to the Findagrave App and you will have the opportunity to do it also. We will also have a video to learn the difference between cemeteries and graveyards - "Cemetery vs Graveyard". Join us at our Research Center on the lower level of the Monroe Public Library.
| Friday Fun Day - Find A Grave GPS |
May 2 - "Institutional Cemeteries" - presented by Steve Seim
|
Steve Seim will present his efforts to compile and catalog information on hundreds of cemeteries for poor farms, asylums, prisons and similar institutions across the country. He will share the history and reasons for the institutions. When the "inmates" died, their remains were often unclaimed, and the institution buried them. Most institutions had their own burial grounds on-site. As institutions were phased out or modernized, their burial grounds were often neglected or forgotten, and burial records became difficult to obtain. Those buried in institutional cemeteries were often forgotten in their own lifetime and are in danger of being forgotten forever. Mr. Seim serves as the Court Commissioner for Dodge County He and his wife, Julie, have two grown children.
|
| Institutional Cemeteries |
May 15 Friday Fun Day - GPS Mapping and Dowsing Rod Demo
We will meet at a cemetery (to be announced) and Bill Holland will demonstrate how to do GPS Mapping with the Findagrave App. Donna Kjendlie will demonstrate using the dowsing rod to find unmarked gravesites. You will have the opportunity to try out GPS mapping and dowsing.
June 6 - "Rituals of Romance: History of Courtship and Weddings, 1830-1990" - presented by Leslie Bellais
|
A bride in a chaste, white wedding dress, her face hidden behind a veil, bridesmaids in matching dresses, and a pile of wedding gifts - all of these have become such entrenched traditions of the wedding ceremony. They seem eternal, yet these rituals have existed for less than 200 years. Dr. Leslie Bellais will explore how these traditions emerged and why they have fossilized into the wedding rituals we experience today. Dr. Bellais will also compare wedding practices to the rituals of courtship, which in contrast have changed and evolved over time.
|
July 11 - "Italian American Immigrants" - presented by Vicki Ruth Hahn, Stateline Genealogy Club, LLC
Note the date change to the second Saturday because of the 4th of July holiday
|
"Italian-American Immigrants and the Chicago Mafia Connections in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin"
Learn more about Italian-Americans immigrating to the United States, the organization of the Mafia, overcoming the difficult search for genealogy of its members, the influences it had on local history, and its connections to people in area communities. Vicki Ruthe Hahn, owner of Stateline Genealogy Club, LLC, is a Retired Librarian with a BA and MLIS from University of Illinois. An Experienced, regional Genealogy Presenter and Consultant, she founded the "Stateline Genealogy Club" at Beloit Public Library in 2012, & created the "StatelineGenealogyClub.Wordpress.com" BLOG in 2015 She has a background in history, anthropology, research, writing, teaching and clothing history. Vicki sorts out mysteries, rediscovers histories, weaves stories, & helps people with local history and their family genealogy; specializing from Central Illinois to Central Wisconsin. |
| Italian American Immigrants |
August 1 - "Jenny Apppleseed" - presented by Jessica Michna
|
"Lost Lore and Tall Tales"
Meet Jenny Appleseed, the fictional sister of “Johnny Appleseed”, as she takes you on a journey through American Folklore. Relive the stories you may have heard as a child. Learn of stories and legends that perhaps you missed. These stories include both Native American and European American tales. Along the way you will meet such memorable characters as Rip Van Winkle, Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and of course, John Chapman. |
September 12 - "Using AI Responsibly to Recover and Restore Old Photos " - presented by Bob Bertolasi
|
|
With rapid developments in artificial intelligence, it's more important than ever to talk about responsible use of AI in genealogy, especially when restoring or recovering historic photographs. Some platforms are gaining recognition for producing restorations that many genealogists consider more accurate and respectful of the original photograph. Come learn which platforms are best and about the standards, expectations and where the performance bar should be set going forward. Bob is currently an instructor for Rock Valley College's Center For Learning in Retirement.
| Using AI Responsibly to Recover and Restore Old Photos |
October 3 - "DAR" - presented by Kathy Comeau, Chapter Regent
November 7 - Black Hawk War - presented by Patrick Jung
December 6 - Christmas Dinner at Turner Hall - "Chip Carving" presented by Ray Douglas
Other Upcoming Events
September 23 - Genealogy 101 - Monticello Public Library - 5 pm
Presented by Ginny Gerber & Amy Hunt, Green County Genealogical Society
Presented by Ginny Gerber & Amy Hunt, Green County Genealogical Society
Genealogy 101 is an opportunity for the beginning genealogist to learn the basic "how do I..." of genealogy. Amy Hunt and Ginny Gerber of the Green county Genealogical Society will help you get started with identifying your goals, creating a family tree, how to begin your research, citing sources, pairing history with your research and any questions you have. We will have the opportunity to look up websites that will help with your research.
Links to Handouts: Available on Members Only Page
"William Seamonson and My Civil War Adventure Trip" (Mar 7 2026 meeting)
"New France in Illinois and Wisconsin" (Nov 2025 meeting)
"A Trip to Israel" (March 2024 meeting)
"Cahokia and the Mississippian Culture" (May 2023 meeting)
"Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Orphan Trains" by Michael Keene (Nov 2022 meeting)
Research Center
Hours: Tuesday 10:00 am - 3 pm
Other times available by appointment. Call Bill Holland 734-735-3475 or email.
Located on the lower level of the Monroe Public Library, 925 16th Ave, Monroe, WI.
Other times available by appointment. Call Bill Holland 734-735-3475 or email.
Located on the lower level of the Monroe Public Library, 925 16th Ave, Monroe, WI.