~by Valerie Ogren for the Greene County Genealogical Society
Meeting notice: The Greene County Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, May 7, at 10 am in the basement meeting room of the Jefferson public library. Shirley Clark will tell us about the Franklin family. Dr Franklin was a relative of her husband’s mother. Come and join us. Genealogy is sharing. Guests are always welcome. The reference library will be open at 9 am if you would like to do some research before the meeting. The basement is handicapped accessible.
WDYTYA: A new series of “Who Do You Think You Are” premiered Sunday, April 3, on TLC and continues through May 1. If you have missed previous episodes, you can watch some clips at http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/. I have missed a few, but I don’t think you can watch complete episodes online as was possible when it appeared on NBC. I found the story of Molly Ringwald especially interesting since her ancestors came from Sweden. We were fortunate to make three visits to Sweden and had the pleasure of meeting many of Duane’s relatives. Fortunately, one very dedicated family historian shared information she had gathered over many years which traced the family back to the 1400s in Denmark. If you need help researching the family of your immigrant ancestor, we can help you.
A couple years ago, the show contacted us to research a person from Greene County. They were going to contact us re: if and when the show would air. We were sworn to secrecy and have never revealed the name. It was disappointing that we never did hear back – nor did they offer to reimburse us for our time and trouble. Please don’t misunderstand. Several of us have gone the extra mile to help people with their research without charge. But it seems like a major or minor TV network should be able to make a small donation.
Irish Rebellion: Exactly 100 years ago on 24 April 2016, the Easter Rising of 1916 began a chain of events that would lead to Irish independence. If you have Irish ancestry, here is a blog which you might find informative: https://blog.findmypast.com/on-this-day-1751972057.html
Courthouse time capsule: The Greene County Courthouse 100 committee has asked if we would donate a “Greene County Heritage Book” to put in the new time capsule. We are happy to comply. Together with the “Past and Present of Greene County 1907” there will be lots of history for future generations to enjoy. Note: There will be a rededication of the courthouse cornerstone Sunday, May 15, at 2 pm on the north side of the courthouse. That date is exactly 100 years after the cornerstone was dedicated.
Free Find: This is a search engine located on our web page. You may type in a name and if it is mentioned on the page, it will point you to the location. Each month I get a report on names people are seeking. Sure wish I knew who was looking for the Ganoe family in April. Since that was the maiden name of my great-great-grandmother Catherine Heater, I have quite a bit of information on the family. I would be glad to share.
Contact us: Our web page is located at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iagcgs/. Email us at gcgsiowa@hotmail.com or PO Box 133, Jefferson IA 50129-0133. If you have suggestions for this column, call me at 515-386-4784.
“The most interesting stories are the ones nobody talks about.” If you have an interesting story, we would love to hear it!
