Bottled Goodbyes with Ric Mixter

Ric Mixter

Ric Mixter’s book “Bottled Goodbyes” is more than just fantastic stories found from bottles that washed ashore.
The author used genealogy research to track down living relatives of shipwreck victims, hoping to find original copies of the notes he features in his book. From wrecks on the Great Lakes to the Titanic, you’ll enjoy his storytelling!

Fruits of Perseverance: The French Presence in the Detroit River Region 1701-1815 with Dr. Guillaume Teasdale

GuillaumeTeasdale

Founded by French military entrepreneur Antoine Laumet de Lamothe Cadillac in 1701, colonial Detroit was occupied by thousands of French settlers who established deep roots on both sides of the river. The city’s unmistakable French past, however, has been long neglected in the historiography of New France and French North America.

Exploring the French colonial presence in Detroit, from its establishment to its dissolution in the early nineteenth century, Fruits of Perseverance explains how a society similar to the rural settlements of the Saint Lawrence valley developed in an isolated place and how it survived well beyond the fall of New France. As Guillaume Teasdale describes, between the 1730s and 1750s, French authorities played a significant role in promoting land occupation along the Detroit River by encouraging settlers to plant orchards and build farms and windmills. After New France’s defeat in 1763, these settlers found themselves living under the British flag in an Aboriginal world shortly before the newly independent United States began its expansion west.

Fruits of Perseverance offers a window into the development of a French community in the borderlands of New France, whose heritage is still celebrated today by tens of thousands of residents of southwest Ontario and southeast Michigan.

Michigan’s Iron Brigade with Michael McCaffery

Michael Mccaffery, Director of the Dearborn Heights libraries, recently hosted a program on the Michigan 24th at his library and other local Civil War roundtables. His focus during the program was the 24th’s ties to the community, including a state historical site at which some Civil War veterans were interred. The upcoming presentation will focus on the genesis of the Michigan 24th, why it was unique, and how the unit came to be one of the most decorated units in the Civil War.

Irish Handfasting Wedding with Kathy Cannon

While planning a long visit to Ireland, Kathy thought back to having seen a “handfasting” wedding ceremony in a movie and wondered whether they did this sort of thing in Ireland today. After some research, she found a celebrant who performed this ceremony and was willing to travel to the Kilcar, Donegal area where Kathy and Dave would be visiting to perform theirs. Kathy will talk a bit about handfasting and its history, and the ceremony that she designed for her and Dave.

Michigan Genealogical Council Fall Family History Seminar
with Michael Strauss

Michael L Strauss, AG

Each fall, the Michigan Genealogical Council, with our partners, the Archives of Michigan and the Library of Michigan, presents the Fall Family History Event. This year, you can attend onsite in Lansing or online from home. Michael L. Strauss, AG, will be our speaker. Michael is employed as a Research Manager and Senior Genealogist for Ancestry ProGenealogists. He is a native of Pennsylvania and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. He is a published author and national genealogical lecturer, instructor, and faculty member at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), and the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR), where he coordinates the military history courses. Michael has been involved in Civil War and Mexican-American War reenacting for more than twenty-five years. Michael Strauss’s presentations will be

  • Introduction to Military Genealogy Research will focus on a large number of records, strategies, and techniques to find your military ancestors from the colonial era through the Vietnam War.
  • A House Divided: Research in the Civil War will examine records most used by genealogists and historians, including service records, draft records, pensions, and records to trace the movement of your ancestor’s military unit for both sides.
  • Roosevelt’s Tree Army: Researching in the Civilian Conservation Corps will explore CCC genealogical resources between 1933-1942, including Office Personnel Files, discharge certificates, accident reports, camp and district reports, photographs, and motion pictures.
  • All in a Day’s Work: Occupational Genealogical Research will focus on the methodology to research your ancestor’s work history, tapping into records of employment and discussing old occupations no longer in use.

Register online today A complete event schedule and mail-in registration form can be found here.

Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan 45th Annual Genealogy Seminar – Day 2

Day 2 is Webinar or In-person at the American Polish Cultural Center, 2975 E. Maple Road, Troy, MI.
In-person registration includes a continental breakfast and lunch with Polish food. In-person seating is limited.

Includes live presentations with Q&A, a syllabus, and door prizes. Attend either day or both days — Open to the public.

Inaccuracies, Errors, and Conflicts of Information in Polish Vital Records and How to Resolve These Problems by Daniel Bućko

The Genealogical Value of Royal and Government Estate Inventories by Daniel Bućko

The Chene Street History Project by Dr. Karen Majewska

Hamtramck’s Polonia by Dr. Karen Majewska

For an informational flyer and online registration, visit the society website.
Registrations paid by check must be postmarked by October 5.
Online registration closes on October 10.

Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan 45th Annual Genealogy Seminar – Day 1

Includes live presentations with Q&A, a syllabus, and door prizes. Attend either day or both days — Open to the public.
Day 1 is Webinar Only.

Polish DNA: Stories It Reveals and the Ways to Use It for Genealogical Purposes by Eryk Jan Grzeszkowiak
Changing Places, Changing Borders: Overcoming Geographic Challenges by David Obee

For an informational flyer and online registration, visit the society website.
Registrations paid by check must be postmarked by October 5.
Online registration closes on October 10.

DNA Sequencing with Kayla Zochowski

Kayla Zochowski

Join Dr. Zochowski to learn about the basics of next-generation sequencing, or the process by which your DNA can be extracted, sequenced, and assembled into your unique genetic code. Sequencing contributes to our understanding of many different biological systems, including the ability to gain insights into ancestry. Learn about the steps involved from sending your saliva off to interpreting your ancestry results.