Santa Through the Ages Display

The display case just outside the Genealogy & Local History Department door is always filled with interesting displays. During the month of December the display is “Santa Through the Ages”. In this display you will see Santa’s made of resin, wood, and even ceramic with a flicker light inside his round belly. We have Santa’s representing France, Rumania,
Bavaria, Belgium, Russia, the U.S. and many other countries. We have Santa’s from different time periods including 1889, 1893, 1895, 1900, and 1903 through the present. We even have a Santa inside a crystal bell. The most unique Santa is “Black Peter” from the Middle Ages. One night a year he helps Santa deliver treats to the Dutch children. Whether you call him Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Sinterklaas or just Santa, stop by the Genealogy & Local History Department to see the display and "Happy Holidays" from the Staff at GLHD.

Visit the Genealogy & Local History Department online at www.KHCPL.org/glhs.

Howard County Genealogical Society Meeting

The Howard County Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, December 3rd from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Meeting Rooms A&B. This is our Christmas Carry-In and Genealogy Show & Tell. The public is welcome and for more information, call 626-0839.

Visit the Genealogy & Local History Department online at www.KHCPL.org/glhs.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Mark you calendars, because the popular series "Who Do You Think You Are?" will be coming back for a 3rd season starting February 3, 2012. It will air on Friday evenings from 8-9 pm. We are all waiting to see who the list of participants will include.

Howard County Genealogical Society Meeting

The Howard County Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, November 5th at 10:00 am-12:00 pm, at KHCPL - Main, in Meeting Rooms A&B. The speaker will be Fritz Zimmerman with a program titled "Indian Mound of Indiana". The public is welcome and for more information, call 626-0839.

Visit the Genealogy & Local History Department online at www.KHCPL.org/glhs.

"Silent Auction"

The annual "Silent Auction" of duplicate or superseded genealogical and historical materials in the Genealogy & Local History Department of the Kokomo-Howard County Public library is in full swing. See a listing of what's available on the website (www.khcpl.org/glhs) or view the items in the department until October 31. You can enter your bid by filling out the form on the website or in person at the library. We may have the treasure you have been looking for to complete your collection. The bidding ends October 31 and you will be notified if your bid was the winning bid. This event is sponsored by the Howard County Genealogical Society. For more information call the department at 765-626-0839.

Etched in Time

The wood and glass case just outside the Genealogy & Local History Department always holds outstanding displays related to genealogy and local history done by various people. This time is no different as our display creators have really outdone themselves. September's display is called "Etched in Time" and is a timeline of the photography process put together by Michelle Trueblood and Janet Winrotte. Using glass plate negatives that Michelle found abandoned in a storage unit, they made digital copies of the negatives and actual photos were created from the slides. The glass plates are of street scenes in Kempton, Indiana including a street fair, the Kempton school ball teams, and one of a farmer with his horses from around 1908. Michelle & Janet included a timeline with dates when each photo printing process was popular. Ask at the Reference Desk in the department to see the full printout of the timeline and see the information on how to archive glass plate negatives.

Scaling Your Brick Walls class

The Scaling Your Brick Walls class will be offered on 6 Tuesdays beginning August 30 to October 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. If you have taken the Climbing Your Family Tree class last spring or have had experience doing genealogy research, then this class is for you. The course fee, which includes a 3-ring binder and handouts, is $25. Registration is required since class size is limited. Pay your fee to register in the Genealogy & Local History Department.
Visit the Genealogy & Local History Department online at www.KHCPL.org/glhs.

Summer Research Trips

Summer is a great time to travel and visit the areas where your ancestors lived. Preparation for these research trips is very important. I just returned from a little place called Raywick, Kentucky where my father's mother was born and raised. All that remains there now are a few houses, a small grocery store, a Catholic Church and 2 bars. In the local cemetery, I was able to take 64 pictures of relatives who I had never met.

I also visited the county public library located in nearby Lebanon, Kentucky. The genealogy room was very small, but contained usefull information compiled by local genealogists. This is information that will probably never be on Ancestry. In the short time that I was there, I met five people who had compiled books for the collection. What an incredible day.

Plan ahead on your next research trip by gathering some important information before you go: check on the days and hours the genealogy department is open, ask if food and drinks are allowed in the department, and find out if the resources can be copied, scanned or photographed. Be sure to bring information on the people you will be researching, either on paper or on a laptop and don't forget your flash drive, portable scanner and camera. These gadgets really make genealogy research easier.

I'm proud to say, that on my recent research trip, I followed by own advice on everything, but it would have been nice to have had GPS in my automobile. It might have saved me an hour's drive in the wrong direction when leaving Raywick. I'll add that to my list.

GenFest 2011 at Kokomo

Don't forget, GenFest 2011 will be held Friday, June 10 from 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 11 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library - Main Branch. Take advantage of the opportunity to use the large genealogy collection for research, enjoy the vendors, door prizes and snacks. On Saturday, we will have speakers through out the day. 9:30-10:30 a.m. - Cathy Wright from Indiana Landmarks - "How to Research Your Historic Home". 11:00-12:00 p.m. - Janet Winrotte, Digitization Coordinator - "Digitization at KHCPL". 1:30-2:30 p.m. - John Morr, Howard County Historian - "Pioneer Relatives". 3:00-4:00 p.m. - Members of the Sons of Union Veterans will share "Stories of the Civil War".
Join us for this exciting and informative event.
For more information go to www.KHCPL.org/genfest2011 .

GenFest 2011

The 6th annual GenFest will be held at the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library (KHCPL) and co-hosted by the Howard County Genealogical Society (HCGS). GenFest 2011 will be held Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 at KHCP Main, 220 N. Union St., Kokomo, Indiana. Planned events include:

Friday from 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m., genealogist will have the opportunity to use the genealogy collection for research into the evening when the library is normally closed. Think of it - you, all those resources, vendors, door prizes and snacks.

Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. KHCPL Main will be dedicated to genealogists. The Genealogy & Local History Department will have available staff for personal research assistance with our large genealogy collection. Though out the day, speakers will share information on current genealogy topics.

Vendors will be on hand both days with genealogy supplies, research materials, and publications for your shopping pleasure. Local exhibitors will share information. Visitation opportunities to local historic venues will be offered.

Come prepared to have fun and to do some research. KHCPL Main is a newly remodeled facility with free parking. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building and the Computer Lab on the second floor will be open for your use. For more information go to the website at www.KHCPL.org/genfest2011 or contact Marcia at mford@KHCPL.org.

28th Genealogy for Night Owls

The 28th Genealogy for Night Owls will be held Friday, April 29 from 5:30 p.m. until 12:00 midnight. This after hours research evening is designed for experienced genealogists. The fee is $12 for Howard County Genealogical Society members and $14 for non-members, and includes a buffet dinner and door prizes. Register in the GLHD by paying your fee for this evening of fun and research. Space is limited, so register now.

New Hours Beginning April 2

The open hours for the Genealogy & Local History Department have changed slightly. Although it is a small increase, we are happy to be able to serve our patrons in a better fashion. Our hours will now be Monday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and closed on Sunday. With this increase in hours, we also have an increase in staff. Amy Russell will now work 3 hours per week as Desk Staff and 8 hours per week as a Digitization Assistant. Amy will continue to serve as a Sub in the department when needed.

Visit the Genealogy & Local History Department online at www.KHCPL.org/glhs .

Climbing Your Family Tree Class

A beginning genealogy class "Climbing Your Family Tree" will be held in Meeting Rooms A & B at KHCPL Main each Tuesday evening in March. The course fee, which includes a 3-ring binder and handouts, is $25. Registration is required since class size is limited. Pay your fee to register in the Genealogy & Local History Department.
Visit the Genealogy & Local History Department online at www.KHCPL.org/glhs.

"Who Do You Think You Are" program

The new season of "Who Do You Think You Are" begins Friday, February 4, 2011 on NBC at 8:00 pm. The season will focus on:
Gwyneth Paltrow - actress daughter of Blythe Danner
Tim McGraw - country music artist, actor son of baseball player Tug McGraw
Rosie O'Donnell - talk show host and actress
Steve Buscemi - actor
Kim Cattrall - actress
Lionel Richie - singer
Vanessa Williams - actress
Ashley Judd - actress and daughter & sister of Naomi & Wynonna Judd
Mark your calendars.

HCGS Officers & Committee Chairs for 2011

The officers and committee chairs for 2011 for the Howard County Genealogical Society are as follows: President-Marcia Ford, 1st Vice Pres-John Morr, 2nd Vice Pres-Cindy Stover, Secretary-Cindy Stover, Treasurer-Janet Winrotte, Book Committee-Ron Tetrick & Margaret Cardwell, Newsletter-Marcia Ford & Janet Winrotte, Programs-John Morr, Publicity-Cindy Stover, Queries-Janice Blanchard.
The Society meetings are held at the Main branch of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library, November through March on the first Saturday of the month at 10:00 am and April through October on the first Monday of the month at 6:30 pm. Guests are always welcome. Call 765-457-3242 for more information.

Howard County Genealogical Society Meeting

The Howard County Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, January 8th at 10:00 am-12:00 pm, at KHCPL - Main, in Meeting Rooms A&B. The speaker will be Marcia Ford with a program titled "Did You Know? Historic Tidbits of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library". The public is welcome and for more information, call 457-3242.
Visit the Genealogy & Local History Department online at www.KHCPL.org/glhs.