Join or Renew before 12/31 and receive 75% off in the Publication Store
Join Now and membership is good from now until 12/31/2023 !
We wish to thank Donald and Marie Sobin for a Gift of $5,000 in Memorium
We will use the funds to digitize more content for members.
New Newsletter Posted Below !!
Thanksgiving Leftovers (without a refrigerator)<Click Keefe>==>
Now Featuring
Jack Keefe’s
Back in the Day
December 7th edition !
Bill Iseminger, 6:30 p.m. November 29, 2022 at the Musuem and livestreamed via YouTube
“From McLean to Mobile” The story of the 94th Illinois Infantry from McLean County
The program onsite was excellent – Bill tells quite the tales of his relatives long ago fighting the hard fight, but unfortunately the audio was not good on the YouTube Channel.
Try as they might, the museum staff could not get it sorted out until the last few minutes of the program.
We apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you.
Check out Jack Keefe’s Back in the Day
<Check out Jack’s new book on Amazon>
Online Store – Huge sale on our publications !!
Members get 75% off if join/renew by December 31, 2022 !
Members can view prior presentations at their convenience – see below !
Members have immediate access to all past Gleanings from 1967 – present – Indexes are on the site
Members have access to The History of the Illinois Conference of the Evangelical Church 1837-1937. This searchable .pdf has information on hundreds of ministers !
Everyone has access our Gleanings indexes to research their relatives.
New book online – Harry Waite’s Veterans of the Spanish American War Interred in McLean County
MCGS general meetings are FREE to the public. With COVID, our meetings have been taking place via ZOOM. Recent topics have been:
Mimi Davis – New Databases at Bloomington Public Library – Available to members.
Susan Kaufman – Unusual Sources – Available to members.
Tina Beaird – Illinois Digital Resources, Census Sensei – Available to members.
Jane Haldeman – Final Resting Place – The Stones Tell the Story, My Ancestor was a Farmer.
Lisa Louise Cook – 3 Cool Cases Solved – Use technology to solve genealogy problems.
Renew or join now until the end of the year and receive 75% off in our publication store. Many publications only $1 for members !
November 29 – New Jack Keefe added to website – check it out
Sampler of Jack Keefe – History that is fun
October 24, 1922: Charles Ponzi went on trial in Boston for alledgedly running another fraudulent get-rich-quick scheme to investors. He will be acting as his own attorney, although he is already serving a prison term in another case.
October 25, 1947: Ralph Gaultney was McLean County’s first serviceman killed in WW II. His remains were brough home to Le Roy, where a funeral was held. Rites were also held for Leonard Gaultney, who dies and was lost at sea. Remains of another brother, David, will be returned later.
Click Jack above to see more.
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How to Use this Site
For research, we have made our Gleanings indexes availble to the general public. Search them for surname and other information, noting the Gleanings Issue. Then Join or Log in, as members are given access online to all Gleanings issues.
Many FREE resources are available to all. They include: Ancestral chart, family record, street name fun, popular links, our cemetery guide publication with directions and descriptions of McLean County cemeteries !
The McLean County Museum of History offers many attractions and events – some via ZOOM. Click here or on the photo https://mchistory.org for more information.
The MCGS Genealogy Library is on the 2nd floor and offers books and journals from around the country, computers set up with Ancestry and Family Search, and often a volunteer to assist you. Hours of operation are here (https://www.mchistory.org/visit).
On Demand Programs available to Members ! Sign up and learn today !
Tina Beaird Presents “Illinois Digital Resources”
Tina Beaird is owner of Tamarack Genealogy and is a history librarian in the Chicago area.
This program is a “fire hose” of information. Fortunately you can pause the presentation anytime to make notes on the two handouts provided. So much of what is available is digital and Tina shows us where to look to find information that does not automatically pop up as a hint. Two handouts are available. Log in or join now to view this program in the member’s area.
If you missed Tina Beaird’s presentation “Becoming a Census Sensei”, please login or join now to view it in the member’s area under Presentations!
It is a wonderful program and has so much information. I love being able to pause the video to make notes on the handout when I need to process something.
Tina is an author, lecturer, and owner of Tamarack Genealogy. She holds an MLS with a specification in archives preservation and often lectures at conferences both local and national.
National, State, Special, Education, and Indian censuses are discussed !
Susan Kaufman Presents “Unusual Sources”
Susan Kaufman is Senior Manager at the Houston Public Library.
This interesting program presents unusual sources of information that you will not find easily. Have an interest in History? Check out the listing of all Civil War soldiers to receive an artificial limb. This is just one of the many sources Susan illuminates. A downloadable handout is available. Log in or join now to view this program in the member’s area.
Mimi Davis Presents “New Databases at BPL”
Mimi Davis is the Electronic Resources Librarian at the Bloomington Public Library (BPL). Learn about the new Genealogy Databases available.
BPL has two new databases “Heritage Hub” and “Black Life in America” that are rich with genealogical information. BPL cardholders can access these information sources from home. The slide program is available as a downloadable file. Log in or join now to view this program in the member’s area.
Check out our latest Newsletter !
Gleanings from 50 years ago !
Remember Fall 1972 – Click Here
All Gleanings are in the members area!
Non-members can preview the Gleanings here
Click image to left to open preview edition with Table of Contents & Surname Index.
McLean County Poor Farm – new information with a spreadsheet available in the members area.
An article by McLean County Museum of History librarian Bill Kemp on McLean County auctioneers.
We remember Ruth Carpenter, a life member who contributed extensively to MCGS, by reprinting her nursing story. This story highlights the excellent content in past issues of Gleanings.
A look at research methods to add someone to Find a Grave.
Researching a poem written for a local family.
Special thanks to Susie Pope and others for their work on this issue.
Please join and then access thru Members tab.