WESTERN MICHIGAN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY ONLINE!

MONTHLY MEETINGS

We meet at 1:30 p.m. in the Ryerson Auditorium of the Grand Rapids Public Library on the first Saturday of the month, September through June. Should the first Saturday fall on a holiday weekend, another day will be scheduled. The June meeting is often times changed to the 2nd Saturday. Unless a special program, each meeting has a one-hour lecture on a genealogy related subject by a knowledgeable speaker. 

Books and charts are sold at our meetings and a "Hospitality Hour" follows. Looking at a genealogical book on the internet?  See if it’s for sale at the WMGS sales table.  Our books are sold for same price as the Internet….but at our sales table and as a member of WMGS that same book has a 10% discount and you don’t pay for shipping.  Talk to Lisa and Wanda about items you don’t see. 

All meetings are free and open to the public. 

REMINDER: Parking is free at the library on Saturdays. Just make sure you validate your parking exit ticket in the machine in the first floor lobby.

Please review our weather cancellation policy so you'll be aware how we'll inform you when it is necessary to cancel a meeting.

MONTHLY MEETINGS

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May 1, 2021 Virtual Meeting (1:30pm)

Virtual presentation via Zoom Webinar
Click for Zoom Meeting Link

Annual Reports: Supplemental Documents for Genealogical Research 

Presenter: Adam Oster

Governments, businesses and a variety of other organizations produce annual reports that describe the activities of the entities throughout the preceding year. These reports provide vital information for genealogical researchers when investigating the greater context of the lives of their ancestors. Learn more about these useful documents and see examples from the collections of the Library of Michigan.

Biography

Adam Oster is the Community Engagement Librarian for the Library of Michigan. Adam holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Grand Valley State University with a minor in Political Science and Secondary Education Certification. He also has a Master of Library Science degree from Indiana University. Adam’s interests include genealogy and local history research.
  

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WMGS Member’s Genealogy class

(There will not be a class offered in April)

Saturday, May 15 

2 - 3 PM

MyHeritage Photo Tools

Let’s learn about MyHeritage’s 4 new photo tools that they recently added to their software:

1. Photo Storyteller – the ability to record the stories behind your favorite family photos and attach the audio narrative to the photos.

2. Photo Enhancer – this is a feature that improves the quality of photos and brings blurry faces into sharp focus.

3. Color Restoration – this feature is an automatic photo colorization and color restoration tool that breathes life and color into old family photos.  This tool automatically analyzes your photos and determines whether they are black and white or color, and then proceeds with the process most appropriate to each photo. It can breathe new colors to a faded color photo or turn a black & while photo into a colored one.

4. Deep Nostalgia Animation – this feature allows you to animate the faces of your loved ones in still photos. It produces a realistic depiction of how a person from an old photo could have moved and looked if they were captured on video.

Instructor:  Linda Guth 

https://zoom.us/j/97300550464?pwd=aG0xNytMTENXUVVxL0N3ZG9mSkJjdz09

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WMGS Member’s Genealogy class

Saturday, June 5
2 - 3 PM

Researching Burial / Cemetery Records 

Did you know that you can learn more about your ancestors from a visit to their memorial? Cemeteries and the records associated with the death and burial of the deceased are full of information that will help you with your genealogical research. In this class, you will learn how to get the most out of your trip to the cemetery by learning about the types of burial records available to you & where to find them prior to your trip. Then, we’ll go over how to plan a cemetery visit and what to do during the visit.

Instructor:  Linda Guth 

https://zoom.us/j/97300550464?pwd=aG0xNytMTENXUVVxL0N3ZG9mSkJjdz09

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DIG

Formed in 2015, the Western Michigan Genealogical Society's DNA Interest Group (DIG) meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month in the Grand Rapids Public Library's VanderVeen Center on the 4th floor. Meetings are held 7 p.m. 

(NO DIG MEETINGS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)

Questions, comments or program suggestions are welcome! Please contact Roger Moffat - DataMaster@wmgs.org

RESEARCH TRIPS

Allen County Public Library

Western Michigan Genealogical Society’s
Bus Trip to Fort Wayne’s
Allen County Public Library

Postponed

WMGS WRITERS GROUP

The Dominican Center on the corner of East Fulton and Lakeside Drive is the location for WMGS Writers Group workshops. We normally meet 1:30 to 4:45 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month. CANCELLED

We help and support each other's desire to write about our families with a kind eye and lots of humor. Everyone is welcome.

For more details, look here...2021 WMGS Writing Contest
~ Scandals in the Family ~
Within every family there is likely a story of scandal, whether having documented proof or not. As genealogists, we
want to scour the archives, online databases, and newspapers to fi nd the evidence of these (sometimes) tall tales. Tell
us your stories of scandals in the family - no matter how big or little.
Write it up and enter the 2021 WMGS Writing Contest.2021 WMGS Writing Contest
~ Scandals in the Family ~
Within every family there is likely a story of scandal, whether having documented proof or not. As genealogists, we
want to scour the archives, online databases, and newspapers to fi nd the evidence of these (sometimes) tall tales. Tell
us your stories of scandals in the family - no matter how big or little.
Write it up and enter the 2021 WMGS Writing Contest.2021 WMGS Writing Contest
~ Scandals in the Family ~
Within every family there is likely a story of scandal, whether having documented proof or not. As genealogists, we
want to scour the archives, online databases, and newspapers to fi nd the evidence of these (sometimes) tall tales. Tell
us your stories of scandals in the family - no matter how big or little.
Write it up and enter the 2021 WMGS Writing Contest.

OTHER ACTIVITIES AT MONTHLY MEETINGS

Refreshments:   Many WMGS members are great cooks!  They share homemade cookies and other goodies with us during our social time!  Social time for gene-people is as must!  Who else wants to listen to how you found G-G-G Grandpa except another WMGS member?   If you can bring cookies, contact Joann Fast, our Hospitality Chairperson.

WMGS Book Sales:  WMGS stocks quite a large number of new  books and materials for your inspection.  We feel that most people want to browse through genealogy books before they purchase. Valuable genealogy materials are  difficult to find in the normal bookstores.  Got ideas?  Want to help?  Let us know!   Watch for our Christmas Special in December!