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The Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI) will be holding its 20th Genealogical / Cultural Conference October 28 – November 1 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kansas City – Overland Park, Kansas. The theme for our conference is From Homeland to Heartland and Beyond. Attached is an electronic copy of the 16-page Conference Program and Registration booklet and below are some handy links. Please help CGSI by forwarding this email and by making the information available to those who might have an interest in attending this event. Register by July 31, 2025 to get the Early-Bird Discounted Conference rate (the rate goes up on August 1). Thank you so much!
Check out CGSI's website at https://CGSI.org
Link to Join CGSI as a Member (If not already a CGSI member, join first (1-year for $35) so you can get the CGSI Member rate for the Conference)
Link to Register for the CGSI Fall Conference (Register by July 31, 2025 to get the Early-Bird Discounted Conference rate)
Link to View the CGSI Fall Conference Program and Registration
Here are some highlights of the Conference included in the Conference Registration fee. The Registration opened on Thursday May 1 with the early-bird discount available until August 1.
CGSI's 20th Genealogical and Cultural Conference
Theme: From Homeland to Heartland and Beyond
Dates: Tuesday October 28 - Saturday November 1
Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Kansas City - Overland Park, KS
10100 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS 66210
Guest Room Rate: $142 per night includes continental breakfast
Room Reservations: Available through our conference page on the CGSI website
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE CONFERENCE FEE?
The Early Bird rate for the full 3-day CGSI member fee of $269 or non-member fee of $319 entitles registrants access to:
· Any of the 48 lectures (16 per day) of 75-minute length scheduled for Thursday – Saturday,
· Thursday, Friday and Saturday lunches,
· "Whova" pre and post-conference virtual networking platform,
· Wednesday evening's, "The Accidental Hero", a one-man WWII era play by Patrick Dewane
· Thursday evening's "Welcome Reception and Exhibitor Fair" with light appetizers,
· Thursday "Czech & Slovak sing-along" with Petr Hustak on guitar and Bob Rychlik on the fujara,
· Friday morning’s Keynote Address by Dr. Tamara Scheer of Vienna, Austria, called Life of Czech, Slovak, and Ruthenian Austro-Hungarian Soldiers During the First World War,
· Friday evening’s Parade of Kroje (fashion show with folk dress),
· Admission to CGSI Research Center, space permitting, with a ticket,
· Access to the vendor area,
· A 120+ page conference syllabus containing speaker material, and a welcome bag.
The Conference fee goes up on August 1, 2025, after which the price for both a member and on-member increases by $50.
Tuesday October 28 and Wednesday October 29 Tours are optional educational events and require registration and fees. See the CGSI website for details on each tour.
The four Czech folk-art workshops by Daniela Mahoney are limited to the first 25 persons and require a separate $20 registration fee. These workshops are available on the online registration form.
The Friday and Saturday dinners, and the Saturday ethnic entertainment are optional events and require separate payment on the registration form.
For further information about the event, please go to our website. Still have questions? Contact CGSI Conference Chair Paul Makousky at Conferencechair@CGSI.org or me, Denise Zvanovec, CGSI's Membership Co-chair at Membership@CGSI.org.
Title: Native American Ancestry: Honoring Ancestors
Presenter: Stefanie Ojibway Gerberding
Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025
Time: 10:00-11:30 AM Central
Description: Join genealogist Stefanie Ojibway Gerberding in exploring Native American genealogy tools and resources, including tribal records and federal archives. The session will also address the cultural sensitivities involved in tracing Native American roots. Whether you're a beginner or advanced genealogist, this presentation will help you navigate Native American genealogical research with respect and accuracy.
If you can’t attend live, this workshop will be recorded and the recording will be made available to all registrants for 30 days. The registration deadline is Wednesday, October 29 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Don’t wait…register today to save your seat!
The November 1 meeting of the Green County Genealogical Society is “New France in Illinois and Wisconsin” presented by Mark Peterson.
The presentation is at 10 am in the Monroe Public Library community room on the second floor. The presentation is free and open to the public
The presentation looks at the years 1524-1763 when the French explored and then settled in North America, including Wisconsin (Wis-kon-sa) and Illinois (Il-len-noh-wa). It examines the French relations with the Native Americans. It examines what happened to the French and Native Americans in their conflicts with the British. Today’s French sites such as Portage, WI and Fort De Chartres, Il and others are reviewed.
Mark Peterson has been teaching history for Lifelong Learning at Highland Community College since 2017. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served six years aboard ships based in South Carolina and Greece. Mark earned his B.A. and M.A. in History from Southern Illinois University Carbondale before beginning a decades-long teaching career in HVAC controls, history, and adult education. His work has taken him to 41 states, four Canadian provinces, and countries including Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, and France. From 2004 to 2018, he taught Historical Methods for Adult Learning at Concordia University in Beloit, Wisconsin. After retiring in 2009, Mark continued teaching in northern Illinois schools and spent several summers as a campground host at Mt. Rainier National Park. Having traveled to all 50 states and 19 countries, Mark brings global insight and enthusiasm for history to presentation.
If you have any questions about the meeting or presentation, call Donna at 608-921-1537. The GCGS Research Center (located in the lower level of the Monroe Public Library) is open to the public for research Tuesdays 10 am-3 pm. Other times available by appointment. The phone number is 608-328-7436 and the website is www.greencogenealogywi.org
Native American Ancestry: Honoring Ancestors
Saturday, November 1
10:00 - 11:30 a.m. CT
Join genealogist Stefanie Ojibway Gerberding in exploring Native American genealogy tools and resources, including tribal records and federal archives. The session will also address the cultural sensitivities involved in tracing Native American roots.
Don't wait! Registration closes on Wed., Oct. 29, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
Find Your Ancestors: Voting Records: Genealogy's Best Kept Secret
Join us in person at the library or virtually via Zoom for our monthly Find Your Ancestors series.
Registration: No registration is needed to attend the program in the library. Zoom attendees must register in advance for this program here.
Program Topic: Voting Records: Genealogy's Best Kept Secret
Looking for a date of birth or death? When and where your ancestor became a citizen? Where he disappeared to or where he came from? Voting records may have the answer. These often-overlooked gems can be packed with genealogical information, and you won't believe what they can tell us about our ancestors!
Presented by Pam Vestal
Pam Vestal is a professional genealogist and speaker who turned her focus to her longtime love of genealogy after a 20-year writing career. Her articles have appeared in the National Genealogical Society Magazine, The Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, and her lectures take her from coast to coast. Pam specializes in conducting genealogical research and then transforming that information into illustrated stories that even non-genealogists can enjoy.
Come celebrate literacy as your superpower during this month’s Monster Monday at the museum! Enjoy special Storytimes at 4:30 or 6:00 pm with the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library and check out a fun read from the Book Mobile! Make a monstrously good art project with the Pablo Center’s ARTmobile, and participate in a robotics demonstration led by the Leviathans. Have supper while you’re here, courtesy of Toppers Pizza. Create a themed bookmark to take home, or build a unique monster, superhero, or villain out of Legos for display.
While you’re here, visit the new exhibit from SuperMonster市City!, “America’s Monsters, Superheroes, and Villains: Our Culture at Play.” Stay tuned for more Monster Monday fun November 10, 2025 and December 8, 2025.
Stay tuned for more Monster Monday fun on December 8, 2025 with special appearances by Spiderman and Santa & Mrs. Claus.
Register for tickets in advance on-line at cvmuseum.com. Limited space for walk-ins is also available. Tickets are $10/adult and $5/child (ages four and younger free). Contact Karen Jacobson at k.jacobson@cvmuseum.com for further details, or to see the full line-up.
ROCK COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY PROGRAM--IRISH ANCESTORS:THE TOP 5 WEBSITES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: Tuesday, November 11 6:30 pm LOCAL WI. TIME
Please join us for our free Zoom Program--
Location: Join us at the Milton House Museum Tomah Room or view live on your Home PC or Smartphone with the Zoom app. You can access this link and required password on our website. Navigate to the speakers page for November.
Program Presenter: Natalie Bodle is a professionally qualified genealogist, author and a speaker on the international circuit. Her company, www.RootsRevealed.co.uk, is a Professional Genealogy and Family History Research Service which is based in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. She has many years’ experience of researching family trees and achieved professional qualification after completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies with the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
Program Summary: This webinar is a romp through the top 5 websites where you will find information on your Irish ancestors. Best of all, they are all free! This is ideal if you are at the start of your Irish ancestral research and will give you a good grounding before delving into the more obscure record sets. We will cover the main collections on each web site and will include search hints and tips so that you can maximize your search.
How to Attend: This Zoom presentation can be watched live at the second level Tomah Room of the Milton House Museum, 18 S. Janesville St., Milton, WI (map) at the scheduled time. Ample parking, handicap access, elevator, snacks, soft drinks and door prizes are included. The Zoom link, and handout can be accessed on our Website. Navigate to our speakers page for November.
Julie Jacobs Feingold Speaker & Events Coordinator
Rock County Genealogical Society
Milton House Museum
18 S. Janesville Street, Milton, WI 53563
RCGS.Speakers@gmail.com | RCGSWI.org
Using Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy and CCC Civilian Conservation Corps
WHEN: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 – 7 PM to 9 PM
Doors open at 6 PM
WHERE: Meeting at The Ale House (New Berlin Bowling Lanes)
16000 W. Cleveland Avenue
New Berlin, Wisconsin (Please park in the East Parking Lot)
Guests are always welcome to attend the Milwaukee Personal Ancestral File Users Group monthly meetings. On November 12, we will have two FREE presentations. Come learn with us about:
1. “Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)” Cathy Dailey. Created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a New Deal Program that provided jobs for unemployed single men during the Great Depression. From 1933 to 1942, the CCC enrolled more than three million men ranging in age from 18 to 25 years. It’s estimated that during its nine years of operation, there were over 4,500 camps across the country. Join us for a discussion on this work relief program that helped conserve and improve America’s public lands, forests and parks while addressing the nation’s high unemployment level. Discover the men, their projects and their lasting legacies. Cathy Dailey’s genealogy “addiction” began when researching her great-grandfather, a tugboat captain, who drowned during a gale storm on Lake Erie in 1909. Through vessel registry records and newspaper accounts, she was able to piece together the timetable of his tragic death and locate his grave in Cleveland, Ohio. Cathy relies on “round-about” methods, including property records, newspaper articles, Censuses, city directories, cemetery receiving logs, and funeral home archives, to bring to life the stories of her elusive relatives. She views her genealogical research as a giant puzzle — not all of the pieces fit precisely together, yet each one adds to the richness of the image.
2. “ Where We Are With Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy” Randy Ray. Where we are and where we’re going with AI in Genealogy is what Randy will help us discover - the features, possibilities of, and how to use a few of the formats out there, including ChatGTP, Google Gemini and the Family Search Labs Experiment. Randy Ray has a passion for genealogy and historical preservation, and is dedicated to uncovering the stories of the past. He’s well-versed in computer technology and methods of research, with a specialty in cemetery and Find A Grave work. Randy volunteers at the Ozaukee County Historical Society, where he assists in preserving local history and helping others connect with their roots. He and a co-host formed the Cedarburg Public Library Genealogy Club and Randy is a frequent presenter at the Milwaukee Personal Ancestral File Users Group meetings.
Bring a friend! The Milwaukee Personal Ancestral File Users Group (MPAFUG) is a computer Genealogy group dedicated to teaching how to use the Internet to research your family history.
The British Interest Group of Wisconsin and Illinois (BIGWILL) invites you to our November meeting with speaker, Maureen Brady.
“Comparing the Birth, Marriage and Death Records of the United Kingdom” While England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all part of the United Kingdom, the church and civil registration systems used to record births, marriages and deaths are very different. Maureen Brady’s presentation will review and compare each record type, and suggest key online search sites.
Maureen Brady, a former school librarian and computer educator, has over forty years’ experience with family history research. She has traced her Scottish roots back to the end of the 17th century, and has also pursued Chicago and the Midwest, the trans-Allegheny U.S., Quebec, Irish and Swedish research. Maureen has made numerous presentations to genealogical societies, libraries, conferences and workshops throughout the U.S., as well as presenting for the Brigham Young University Library family history webinar series. She is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and a life member of the Aberdeen and Northeast Scotland Family History Society and the Ohio, Chicago and McHenry County (Illinois) Genealogical Societies. Maureen is also active in the Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Lake County (Illinois) Genealogical Societies, the British Interest Group of Wisconsin and Illinois, and the Chicago Scots Scottish Genealogical Society.
Visitors are always welcome to attend our BIGWILL presentations, free of charge. Come learn with us!
Instructions to attend the ZOOM meeting to follow in future “reminder” emails.
The British Interest Group of Wisconsin & Illinois (BIGWILL) is a special interest group for those who wish to research family history and ancestry in the British Isles. We meet at 10:00 am (Central time) on the third Saturday of January, March, May, July, September and November. Live meetings in May, July, September and November are held in The Community Church, 5714 Broadway, Richmond, IL 60071 and simultaneously via ZOOM. January and March meetings are online only, virtually via ZOOM.
Introduction to German Genealogy
Saturday, November 15
10:00 am - 2:00 pm CT
Learn how to research your German-speaking ancestors in this three-part workshop sponsored by the Max Kade Institute and the Wisconsin Historical Society. The workshop is led by Antje Petty, the Associate Director of the Max Kade Institute for German American Studies, and an expert in the history of German-speaking immigrants. WHS Members get a special discount.
Don't wait! Registration closes on Wed., Nov. 12, 2025.
David Barnhill and Stephen Rueff, from SuperMonster市City!will be here to talk about America’s Monsters, Superheroes and Villains: Our Culture at Play. They provide in-depth insights and nuances on the featured toys, their creators, and their cultural context. This exhibit intertwines history, the art of play, and pop culture themes to explain social and political trends from the past eighty years.
Thank you to Sponsor APEX Engineering, Eau Claire, WI.
The exhibit reveals five powerful themes:
Curated by Stephen Rueff, the exhibit unpacks how these fantastical figures became symbols of America’s place in the world—and mirrors of who we thought we were.
Rueff explains that “this presentation isn’t just a toy box trip down memory lane—it’s a cultural X-ray of America’s psyche! From Cold War paranoia to Atomic Age optimism, for over 80 years, these iconic pop culture characters have reflected our deepest fears, lived out our wildest dreams, and wrestled with the biggest questions about power, identity, and hope in American history.”
The presentation is included with admission.
For more information contact Diana Peterson at d.peterson@cvmuseum.com | 715.834.7871.
Society Briefs, Village News … or the other “Gossip Columns”
Date of Event: November 21, 2025
Start Time: 1:00 PM (Central)
The Milwaukee County Genealogical Society presents:
Event Title:Passing the Torch: Jewelry Gifted as is, or Reimagined for the Next Generation
Presenter: Vivian Paul Anton
Description:
How far back can you trace your roots? Imagine having a personal heirloom piece from your ancestors, such as a piece of jewelry. What would you do with it? Would you wear it? Would you frame it? If you wanted to make a small or large change, how would you go about doing that to honor the integrity of the piece and the original owner? See some remarkable examples of how to go about doing this.
Inspired by my father Paul, who journied from Greece to America, I embrace his spirit of determination and craftsmanship in my work as a Jewelry Designer and Graduate Gemologist. With a career spanning from galleries in LA, NY, and beyond - plus features in Vogue, Harper's and Elle - my designs continue to evolve. After many decades in retail, I'm looking ahead to new possibilities with Vivian Paul Anton Jewelry Design - a brand rooted in heritage, faith, and passion. Over 50 years in the Milwaukee Area.
Location of Event: Milwaukee Central Public Library 814 W. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI. First Floor Rotary Club of Milwaukee Community Room.
IN PERSON: No registration needed for in person at the Library
ONLINE VIA ZOOM Register here for zoom link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/gqT8Xg1kR1S5ZWAUjBUUbQ
A short membership meeting will precede the presentation.
Find Your Ancestors: Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan: The Key to Thorough Research
Program Topic: Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan: The Key to Thorough Research
Thorough research is one of the elements of the Genealogical Proof Standards. How do you know if you've done enough? A research plan is the key. From creating to working through your pan, learn how to use this tool to keep you on track and be as thorough as possible.
Presented by Cheri Hudson Passey
Cheri Hudson Passey is a professional genealogist, instructor, writer, speaker, and owner of Carolina Girl Genealogy, LLC. She is the host of the YouTube genealogy chat show GenFriends and is a genealogical researcher, subcontracted by Eagle Investigative Services, Inc., for the US Army Past Conflict Repatriations Branch. She is involved in many genealogy societies and organizations and on the National Genealogical Society board.
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