Genealogical Society of Marion County

Genealogy Programs and Education

2024 Programs
Jan       Digging Into Genealogy With The Right Tools                                                     Ron Darrah
Feb       Cemetery & Church Records                                                 handout                Cheri Hudson Passey
Mar       GSMC Onsite & Online Research Resources                                                     Ron Darrah
Apr        To Be Announced
May       Genealogy at the Indiana State Archives                                                            Jamie Webb
 
2023 Programs
Jan       Using Maps in Your Research                                                handout                 Monique Howell
Feb       But, I'm "White"                                                                      handout1               Angi Porter
                     Why Should I Learn About African American Genealogy  handout2
Mar       Your Family, Your Story: Oral Histories                 handout1 handout2                Dr. Michella Marino
Apr        Stories Buildings Tell                                                                                            Suzanne Stanis             
May       The USS Indianapolis                                                           handout                   Ronald P May
June      DAR and SAR                                                                                                       Debra Foster
July        Memories of World War 2 Era                                                                              Mildred Rebennack   
Aug        Crown Hill Cemetery                                                                                            Jeannie Regan-Dinius  
Sept       Hoosier State Chronicles                                                                                     Justin Clark
Oct         They Came in Ships - Before Ellis Island                           handout                 Carolyn Niemantsverdriet     
Nov        Researching Military Records                                             handout                 Ron G Prichard 
Dec        Civil War Camps in Indianapolis                                                                          Steve Barnett                                                                                                                                     
2022 Programs
Jan      Digging Deeper into Your DNA Matches                                  handout                Denise Anderson-Decina
Feb      Crispus Attucks History & Museum Tour                                                              Robert Chester
Mar      Scottish Genealogy Research                                                 handout                Barry Levitt
Apr       Marion County 200 Years Old & First Families                                                    Ron Darrah
May      Cemetery Symbolism                                                              handout               Jeannie Regan-Dinius
June     Dating and Preserving Family Photos                                     handout               Joan Hostetler
July       Learning You're Adopted                                                         handout                Terry Prall
Aug       Cerealine Towne, Indianapolis                                                handout                Sharon Kennedy    
Sept      Breaking the Silence: World War 2 Naval experience            handout                 Lauren Peightel
Oct        Blanchard Family & National Road                                                                       Ron Darrah
Nov       Fort Benjamin Harrison Museum                                                                         Dale Lane
Dec       Show & Tell / First Families
 
2021 Programs
Feb      Family Search Wiki and Catalog                                                                            Amber Oldenburg
Mar      Those Darn Brick Walls                                                                                         Darlene Anderson & members
Apr 3    Advanced Military Research for Genealogists                          handout               Ron Darrah
Apr 24  Genealogy Do-Over                                                                  handout               Thomas MacEntee
June      People of Faith - Catholic Records                                           handout               Julie K Motyka
July       How to Succeed in Tracking Down Your German Ancestors    handout                Kent Robinson
Aug      Researching the Dark Side of Family History                                                        Steve Barnett
Sept     Central State Hospital Cemetery Project                                                               Sarah M Halter
Oct       Crispus Attucks: From the Beginning                                       handout                 Robert Chester
Nov      GSMC Military Day                                                                   handouts-Darrah   Ron Darrah & Brian Rhinehart  
                                                                                                              handout-Rhinehart
Dec      Show & Tell / Tell a Story / Annual Meeting
 
2020 Programs
Jan      Brickwall Problems                                                                                                 Darlene Anderson & members
Feb      Put Up a Parking Lot - Indiana Avenue                                handout                     Steve Barnett
July       Early Immigration Routes Old Northwest Territory               handout                     John Barr
Aug       Learning Your Adopted                                                        handout                     Terry Prall
Sept      Jewish Genealogy                                                               handout                     Barry Levitt
Oct        Researching The Ulster Scots                                                                              Ron Darrah
Nov       US Census Non-Population Schedules                              handout                     Judith Bell Casey
 
2019 Programs
Jan       Genealogical Roundtable: Brick Walls
Feb       Bethel Cemetery Relocation to Concordia Cemetery                                           DNR & Indianapolis Airport Authority
May      Family Search & Find A Grave                                                                               Sue Dillon
June      Indiana State Archives                                                                                           Vicki Casteel
Jul       Ancestry Changes                                                                                                   Nancy Stroy
Dec     GSMC Elections 
 
2018 Programs
Feb      IUPUI Law Library Resources
Mar      Genetic Communities & DNA                                                                                  Blaine Bettinger
May      Hidden Web - Digging Deeper                                                                                Cyndi Ingle
June      Go West Young Man - At Least to West Indianapolis                                              Steve Smith
July       Discover Your Family in School Yearbooks                                                             Mike Mansfield
Aug       All About the Indiana State Archives                                                                       Vicki Casteel
Sept      Did Grandpa Work In the Tree Army?                                                                     Ron Darrah
Oct        Meaning of Squire, Mr or No Prefix on Virginia documents                                    Rose Ann Sigborn
Nov       Our Golden Door:  Introduction to Immigration                                                       Ron Darrah
Dec       Annual Show & Tell - Holiday Luncheon
 
2017 Programs
Jan      Strategies for Finding Ancestors with Autosomal DNA                                           James M Baker
Jan      Brickwall Problems                                                                                                 Angela Guntz and Members
Feb      Photography for Genealogy                                                                                   Nicka Smith
Mar      Write Your Story Workshop                                                                                    Dee Armstrong Crabtree
Apr       Researching Students & Staff at Indianapolis Public Schools                               Ron Darrah
May      Civil War Hospital Records at the Indiana State Archives                                     Vicki Casteel
Jun       Getting to Know the DAR GRC Collection                                                             Jane Klotz
Jul         Brick walls & How to Break Through
Aug       Early Census Questionnaires                                                                                Katharine Bourne Springer
Oct        World War One Research                                                                                     Ron Darrah
Nov       Indiana Divorce Records                                                                                       Meredith Thompson
Dec       Show & Tell                                                                                                            GSMC Board & Members
 
2016 Programs
Jan      Brickwall Problems                                                                                                 Angela Guntz and Members
Feb      Count Em Every Which Way: Using Special Censuses                                         Ron Darrah
Mar      Tour of Indianapolis Special Collection Room, IPL                                                Maureen Duncan
Apr      Using Family Papers in Manuscript Collections                                                      Marcia Caudell
May     History and Records of Indiana's "Gore"                                                                Tina Lyons
Jun      Top 10 Clues Provided by Death Records                                                             Mauri Pratt 
Jul        No Program-Midwestern Roots Conference 
Aug      Turner Christian-Building A Case History                                                              Susannah Dillon  
Sep      Second Annual Website Wonderland                                                                    GSMC Staff
Oct       Annual Conference                                                                                                Tina Beaird 
Nov      Understanding Wills and Probates                                                                         Sarah Pfundstein 
Dec     Holiday Lunch/Show and Tell                                                                                  GSMC Members
 
2015 Programs
Jan      Brickwall Problems                                                                                                  GSMC Members
Feb      How to Layout a Family History book                                handout                            Marion Harcourt
Mar      Territorial Indiana                                                                   handout                      Ron Darrah
Apr      Discovering The Dead: Cemetery Research                                                               Angela Guntz
May     Using DNA In Genealogy                                                                                         Steve Smith
Jun       German Surnames & Finding Family In Germany                                                      Bob Suhr
Jul        Indiana Memory Project: Newspapers                                                                       Chandler Nighly
Aug      Bylaws Review & Educational Opportunities                                                              Angela Guntz
Sep      Website Wonderland                                                                                              GSMC Board
Oct       Annual Conference: Full Day                                                                                   Dick Eastman
Nov       Allen County Research Trip/DNA Organizational Meeting                                           Members & Guests
Dec      Annual Meeting and Show and Tell                                                                           GSMC Board and Members
 
2014 Programs
Jan        Got a Brick Wall Research Problem?                               handout                              GSMC members
Feb        Writing Your Family History                                                 handout                              Barb Shoup
Mar        FamilySearch                                                                         handout                             Frank & Lexi Merrill  
Apr        Google for Genealogists                                                  see FamilyQuest               Dr. Margaret McMahon
May       Land Records                                                                       handout                             Alexa Merrill
Jun        Historic Irvington                                                             no handout                        Stephen Barnett
Jul         Brother vs. Brother: Researching Civil War Records      handout                             Ron Darrah 
Aug       Finding the Facts Hidden in Family Lore                          handout                            Terry Prall  
Sep       Sanborn and Baist Maps: IUPUI Digital Collection        handout                            Kristi L. Palmer
Oct        A Day with Juliana Szucs Smith and Ancestry.com                    
                          Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins          handout
                          Coming to America: Passenger List                     handout
                          Common Surnames                                                handout
                          Hidden Treasures                                                     handout
Nov       Open Forum                                                                                                       Members & Guests
Dec       Annual Meeting and Show and Tell                                                                       GSMC Board
 
2013 Programs
Jan       Got a Brick Wall Research Problem? 
Feb       Digging for Funeral Home Data in Back Rooms and Basements                           Bruce Oakley
Mar       The Ulster Guys                                                                    handout
Apr        School Days: A Great Records Resource                                                              Ron Darrah
May       San Juan Hill, a Mayflower Connection…Other Bits of Family Lore                       Terry Prall
Jun        What's New at FamilySearch, a webinar
Jul         Cemeteries and Maps                                                                                              Lou Malcomb
Aug       Cemeteries                                                                                                               Jeannie Regan-Dinius
Sep       Making Sense of DNA: How It Can Assist Genealogical Research                       Ken Nowlan
Oct       Chasing the Scots                                                                                                    Lee Cloe
Nov       A Day with Joan Hostetler
                              Photographic History, Preservation, and Archiving                                            
Dec      Annual Meeting and Show and Tell 
 
2012 Programs
Jan       Quakers                                                                                                                    Thomas Hamm
Feb      Mining Family Histories: Boom or Bust?: Proceed With Caution!                            Terry Prall
Mar      Webinars   
May      What’s in Your Genealogy Software? 
Jun      Got a Brick Wall Research Problem? 
Aug     Genealogy Data on the Internet:  Websites                                                              Terry Prall
Sep     Fraternal Order of Everyone                                                                                     Ron Darrah
Oct      Resources at the Indiana State Library                                                                    Leigh Anne Johnson
Nov      A Day with Jana Sloan Broglin                       
                              America's Expansion: The Ohio Country: 1783-1812 
                              Isn't that Special? 
                              See ya in the Funnies 
                              Hookers, Crooks, and Kooks 
Dec     Annual Meeting and Show and Tell 
 
2011 Programs
Jan     Show Me the Money                                                                                                  Ron Darrah
Feb     Unique Aspect of African American Genealogical Research                                   Tamara Winfrey Harris
Mar      Researching Revolutionary War Ancestors                                                            Terry Prall
Apr      Indiana Research                                                                                                      Lloyd Hosman
Jun      A Writing Workshop for Family Historians                                                               Teresa Baer
Sep     Church Records and the Genealogical Resources at DePauw University             Wesley W. Wilson
Oct     Civil War Records at the Indiana State Archives                                                     Vicki Casteel
Nov     A Day with Melissa Shimkus                        
                           Before Crossing the Ocean: American Records of Our Immigrant Ancestors 
                           The Ellis Island Experience 
                           Voyages at Your Fingertips: Online Immigration Records 
                           Naturalization Records of our Ancestors   
Dec    Annual Meeting and Show and Tell
 
2010 Programs
Feb    A Splendid Little War!                                                                                                Ron Darrah
Mar    Getting started in Genealogy                                                                                     Ron Darrah
          The story handed down was...: Uncovering the truth!                                               Cathi Taylor
Apr    Changes at the Indiana Historical Society                                                                 Jeanne Scheets
Jun    Making Changes with Optimism - the Marion County Pioneer Way                        Dr. Mary Alice Hines
Sep   The Making of the Hoosier Capital                                                                            Dr. David G. Vanderstel
Nov    Indy’s Ethnic Heritage
                         Native Americans in Indy     Rebecca Martin & 'Charli' Champion-Shaw
                         German-American Landmarks of Indianapolis                                          William Selm
                         Scotch and Scotch-Irish in Indiana                                                             Mark Lawson
                         Ethnic Populations of Indy                                                                          Dr. David G. Vanderstel
                         The Catholic heritage of Indianapolis                                                         Dr. James J. Divita
Dec   Show and Tell 
 
2009 Programs
Feb    When African Americans Were Actually Freed                                                      Charles Barker
Apr     Dying To Help Out, Too                                                                                           Ron Darrah
Jun     Using City & County Directories to Fill in the Blanks in Family Research             Terry Prall
Sep    Indiana Pioneers                                                                                                      Doris Fields
Nov    A Day with Dr. Michael Lacopo
                      There's More Than Corn in Indiana: Finding Your Hoosier Ancestors
                      She Came From Nowhere: How to Incorporate Social History Into Your Genealogical                                              Problem
                      Deconstructing Your Family Tree: Re-evaluating the Evidence  : The Case Study
                      More Than the Census: Our Families Did Exist Between Those 10-Year Intervals!
Dec   Show and Tell