And There I Take My Stand: Women’s Suffrage in Michigan

A new index of articles published in Acorns to Oaks has been added to the member’s area. The index can be searched by “location” or key word. If you are searching for articles pertaining to a certain location use that location as a search term. Most locations are in Oakland County, but there are articles from Detroit and other counties also. You may also search by a key word, perhaps “death” without quotes. That will result in all articles with the word death in the title. Members may access the new index here.

Please take a few minutes to help your board by answering our survey which is at this link.

Our webinar will examine the sources that exist about the various ethnic groups that came to Michigan, mainly focusing on the Allen County Public Library’s collection. We will look briefly at the histories of these groups and examine books, and occasionally, websites, that will allow one to do further research on these groups.

This is our joint Zoom meeting program with the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research (DSGR).  John Beatty from The Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana will be the speaker. The webinar begins at 11 a.m.

You must register in advance to attend this meeting using this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7416344659297/WN_RaIAFpsURXGlJX-CQSdVPQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

This meeting will not be recorded. We hope you will join us on November 6!

John D. Beatty, CG, has been a reference librarian in The Genealogy Center since 1984 and also serves as its principal bibliographer.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors in History from the University of Michigan in 1982, and a Master of Arts degree in History and Library Science with honors from that university in 1984. He became a Board-certified genealogist in 2014.

He is the author of sixteen books on local and family history, including works on German and early American families, abstracts of town vital records from Biddeford, Maine, and annotated narratives from the Irish Rebellion of 1798, as well as numerous articles on a variety of genealogical and local historical topics. In 2006, he served as principal editor for volume one of a two-volume History of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana, 1700-2005, the first history of Allen County produced since 1917.

Because of a diversified family background, he has genealogical expertise in a variety of areas. He has conducted original research on families from colonial New England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Kentucky, as well as on seventeenth and eighteenth century families from Ireland, Germany and Switzerland. He serves as archivist for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, and his interests also include local Fort Wayne and Allen County history.

The database links have been corrected and now link to the correct detail. I appreciate the member who let me know about this error so I could correct it.  Members may access the database at this link.

The database is being reconfigured due to errors. Please bear with us until complete.

This is the time of year when we traditionally send a membership renewal mailing by USPS. Since this service is increasing more expensive the board has elected to send most renewal notices by email.  You may download a membership form to mail in if you do not wish to renew online by PayPal or credit card.  To view your expiration date and renew online please login using the form on the right of this page. If you don’t know your password, use the forgot password link to reset your password and login.

Please note that you will receive an email 30 days prior to your membership expiration date. This will occur automatically from the website, so if you have mailed your check please understand that we have experienced delays in USPS service and contact us at info@ocgsmi.org if you have questions regarding your membership status..

You can access the program schedule here.

Here is a communication from our President, Judy Nimer Muhn:
Members and Friends of the Oakland County Genealogical Society,

As we begin a new program year for 2021-2022, we want to thank you for staying with us through the adjustments we all made in 2020!  Our membership reflected a broader representation from across the United States and Canada and we were thrilled to be able to share programming via Zoom – to keep us all focused on our research and moving forward in a positive and productive way to finding our ancestors!

We are grateful that you have kept the Oakland County Genealogical Society a part of your life and learning options, and we are very pleased to offer some great programming in this coming year.  While we will initially be managing from our Zoom platform, your Board is working on having hybrid (Zoom and in-person) meetings – as we are so happy that our members are wanting to join from more distant locations AND to facilitate those for whom driving is not an easy option.

Thank you again to Vice President Derek Blunt for this years’ program – with a decidedly “Great Lakes” feel to our sessions, our presenters will give you a variety of perspectives on the Old Northwest, a variety of contexts about Michigan and Oakland County, and presentations about African-American Genealogy as well as the close relationships between Michigan and Ontario.  Thank you to our speakers for their expertise and knowledge!

In our annual joint meeting with the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research on November 6 (note – Saturday!), we will be joined by John Beatty from the Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  His topic:  Ethnic & Religious Group Migrations to Michigan.  Watch for emails, Facebook posts and our website for this.

As we move into the transition to a hybrid environment, please be sure to watch our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ocgsmi) and our website (www.ocgsmi.org) for updates and directions on how to sign up for the Zoom link.  Please note that the October and November sessions as of July are planned as fully Zoom sessions, with our plan to first attempt hybrid meetings in either December or January – cross your fingers!

Again, thank you for your membership in our society and know that we welcome your comments, suggestions, and input at any time.  My email is president@ocgsmi.org and I welcome your involvement!

Judy Nimer Muhn
President